


melt me down

by meltsmedown



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: (in future chapters), F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Summer Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-15
Updated: 2017-10-16
Packaged: 2018-12-30 02:47:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 23,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12099045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meltsmedown/pseuds/meltsmedown
Summary: When Luke and Alaric invite their daughter, Maia, and her friends on a week long family vacation at their log cabin, Izzy, Maia’s girlfriend, takes it upon herself to send the invitations. However, when she realizes that everyone except for her brother would be coupled up, she gets a fantastic idea. One that includes Alec having to bring a date so that he wouldn’t feel alone.In response, Alec gets a less fantastic idea. One that includes bringing his best friend, Magnus, as a date.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I present you the fake dating au with healthy communication and minimal angst that you didn't know you needed!
> 
> Special thanks to [@maghnvsbane](https://maghnvsbane.tumblr.com/) for helping me with the outline plan, motivating me and giving great advice!! She is incredibly talented and her writing is beautiful so you should check it out [@WendigoBaby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WendigoBaby/works?fandom_id=6856609) <3
> 
> Title from "Fake It" by Bastille and part of one of my favourite lyrics ever: "Melt me down, I'm like wax to your jokes" <3 The story behind the song has nothing to do with the fic, but if you take some lines out of context, it fits really well.

“Hey, I’m home!”

Maia’s voice chimed in from the hallway and carried all the way to the kitchen where Izzy was stirring vegetables in the pan. The smell of spices enveloped the room and lured her girlfriend in, making Izzy simper as she felt Maia wrap her arms around her waist and place a soft kiss on her shoulder, tight curls tickling Izzy’s neck.

“Smells amazing,” Maia hummed against her skin before pulling away and leaning against the counter.

“And it’s gonna taste amazing,” Izzy said satisfied as she brought the spoon to her mouth for a taste. “How did the packing go? I hope your dads decided not to bring the entire content of their house this time,” she asked, earning a giggle from Maia.

“No, they’re just taking a week off,” she said, opening the cabinet and pulling out plates to set up the table. “Plus they have everything they need at the cabin, no need for excessive packing.”

“I’m sure they have everything they need now, since the last time they went there their car was overflowing,” Izzy laughed. She turned off the stove and wiped her hands on the towel resting on her shoulder.

“Hey, give them a break, it was only the second time they went since the renovation, they still had a few trinkets to transport,” Maia nudged Izzy in the side as she moved to place the silverware on the table. “You know how Luke is very practical and wanted them to have everything they might need so they wouldn’t have to, as you say, pack the entire content of their house every time they go on vacation,” she explained.

“Trinkets right,” Izzy giggled. “Anyways, you still didn’t answer my question, how’d it go?”

Maia shrugged, avoiding her girlfriend’s gaze and playing with a stray thread hanging from the table cloth. “It went well. They didn’t have a lot, just some clothes and stuff, you know,” she trailed off.

“So why did they call you for help then?” she inquired as she started filling up the plates, noticing Maia’s nervous demeanor.

“Well, actually they called because they wanted to ask me something,” she started, sitting down and fidgeting with the fork. She looked up at Izzy with that glint of mischief in her eyes Izzy had come to love over the few years they’d been together.

“Is that so?” she asked, taking a bite from her food and closing her eyes for a moment, pleased with her own cooking skills, before drawing her attention back to Maia.

“Yeah, initially they were gonna go alone, but Alaric decided on a whim to make it a family trip because we haven’t done that in a long time− oh my god, this is really good,” she moaned, taking another bite, more enthusiastically this time.

“Thank you,” Izzy laughed. “You were saying?”

“Right, yes,” Maia smiled and went back to her story. “Yeah, anyways, Luke said it’s a great idea and that I should bring you and our friends along too, because we have enough room for everyone and we’re also going back to work soon, so it would be nice for all of us to spend some time together,” she shrugged.

“Mm, a week away from civilization and phone service?” Izzy hummed, considering the offer. “That sounds like exactly what we need,” she said, a big smile on her face.

“Really? I didn’t think you’d find it appealing,” Maia sighed in relief.

“Are you kidding? That place is gorgeous! The lake, the mountains, the big fireplace that we’re not gonna use because it’s still August,” she laughed.

“Never say never, it gets pretty cold there at night, even in summer,” Maia said, pointing her fork at Izzy.

“Well then even more reason to go! I’m gonna make a few phone calls after dinner, see who’s available,” she clapped excitedly.

 

***

 

After they cleaned everything up and Maia went to take a shower, Izzy fell on the couch, granola bar in one hand and her phone in the other, sliding through her contacts. She took it upon herself to call everyone up and invite them, excited to get away from their hectic lives that seemed to follow them even when they were supposed to be on a break. The energy of the city, while usually exciting and lively, was starting to give her a continuous headache and this trip might just provide the perfect cure.

After calling Simon and hearing him talk her ear off about how excited he was and promise that him and Jace were going to _“make it for sure, absolutely, count on us”_ , she called her childhood friend, Aline, with whom they’d been keeping in touch more since she moved to New York. She was disappointed to hear that she couldn’t make it, but forgave her instantly when she heard that the reason for it was because she finally built up the courage to ask her co-worker, Helen, out and the two of them had tickets to a Shakespeare play that they couldn’t miss for the world. Knowing Aline’s passion for old English literature, she understood and didn’t press, especially considering how excited she sounded over the phone, however less for the actual play and more for her date.

Before dialling Alec’s number, she felt inspired. Maybe it was her conversation with Aline, or hearing Jace’s fond laughter in the background of her phone call with Simon, or a combination of both, but she couldn’t help thinking that everyone except for him would be coupled up on this trip. And, though Alec had insisted many times in the past that he didn’t need a relationship at the moment, that he was too busy for one, that none of his dates ever amounted to anything, she knew her brother, she knew he wasn’t happy and she also knew the reason for it.

She was certain that if she invited Alec alone on the trip, there would be two possible outcomes. The first one would be that he would most certainly have fun, but inevitably feel left out around so many couples. She knew the feeling very well, and she hated it, no matter how much she had tried to ignore it and enjoy herself.

The second and most probable one would be that he would invite Magnus along. And Izzy loved Magnus, he’d been one of her closest friends for years, and, after all, he was Alec’s best friend and roommate. A best friend and roommate that her brother just so happened to have fallen irreparably in love with since they were teenagers, something that had prevented Alec from putting any actual effort into his relationships, that ended swiftly every single time, resulting in heartbreak and, consequently, even more pining.

No matter how many times she had encouraged him to try his luck and confess his feelings, ask Magnus out, do anything about it, she would be on the receiving end of the same speech: _“There’s no way he feels the same and, even if he did, it’d probably be doomed to failure like all of my relationships and end up ruining what we have now.”_

She was tired of seeing him hung up over someone and not act on it and, as much as she wanted to spend time with her friend on this trip, she wanted her brother to be happy more than anything, and having Magnus there to remind Alec of what he couldn’t have because of his own stubbornness was not going to help.

Therefore, she thought that this vacation would be the perfect opportunity for him to ask someone else out, bring them along, and try to get over Magnus once and for all. She smiled to herself, satisfied with her plan, before clicking the call button.

 

***

 

The incessant ringing of his phone brought Alec back to the real world as he closed the book he had been completely submerged in for the past hour. He checked the caller ID only to be met with his sister’s smile, the sun shining in her eyes and lighting up her face, a picture she’d taken with his phone on a family vacation two years before. He looked at the clock on his bedside table and was surprised to see that it was almost eleven, a bit late for Izzy to be calling him, which caused him to sit up, worried that something may have happened.

“Hey, Izzy, is everything okay?” he asked immediately when he answered the phone.

“Yes, big brother, everything is splendid,” she giggled, probably amused at his tendency to get worked up over the smallest things. “Watcha doin’?” she asked in a sing-song voice.

“Reading,” he rolled his eyes fondly. “What are you doing calling so late?”

“Well, I had a little proposition for you,” she explained, her voice similar to the one she put on whenever she was about to get them both into trouble.

“That sounds dangerous, what is it?” he asked, trying to suppress his annoyed groan.

“Don’t sound so intrigued,” she teased him. “Anyway, Maia and I are planning a week long family trip to Luke and Alaric’s log cabin near Lake Lyn, and I’m inviting my family, and that includes you.”

“Oh,” he said, his interest now piqued, “well that doesn’t sound−”

“But,” she kept talking, not letting him finish, “there’s a catch.”

Alec let out a groan this time, running a hand over his tired eyes.

“Of course there is,” he mumbled under his breath.

“Since we’ve invited Jace and Simon too and,” she paused for a second and he could hear the smile in her voice as she continued, “Aline who’s gonna bring her date, Helen, we thought, why not make it a lovers’ retreat? So that means you have to bring a date too,” she finished, her tone not leaving any room for argument.

Alec wanted to curse every deity in existence for her sister’s stubbornness, which, come to think of it, he unfortunately shared as well. No matter how many times he’d told her that he had no interest in relationships, especially considering his past unsuccessful dalliances, she kept encouraging him to _“get out there, find someone, stop pining”_. He wasn’t “pining”, he was just… hopelessly in love with his best friend who could never in a hundred years look at him as anything other than a friend, which, to many people, could come across as “pining”. But getting over Magnus had never worked for Alec, and it sure as hell wasn’t going to if he chose to accept Izzy’s foolish offer.

However, the trip did sound fun and he was excited at the prospect of spending more time with his friends and family away from the noise and stress of the city. What didn’t sound fun was spending a whole week away from Magnus without phone service or any way to contact him and hear his soft voice that always seemed to wash over him like the warm summer wind. And something told him, judging by Izzy’s tone of voice, she wasn’t going to let him bring Magnus, unless he was his date.

“Why are you like this?” he eventually asked, too tired to hide the irritation in his voice.

“Because I want to spend more time with my loved ones, away from any sources of stress, because we are guaranteed to have a great time, because I love my brother and want him to be happy and not feel left out, because I don’t want him to keep pining over his best friend, should I keep going?” she supplied, her own annoyance shining through the receiver.

As expected, she was a very good negotiator and read his mind perfectly, but this time it didn’t serve to make him feel smug with how predictable she was and how well he knew her.

It must have been his tired brain, or the dread he felt at the thought of having to go on a date with a complete stranger and invite him on a family trip two days later, or his desire to prove his sister wrong that gave him an absolutely idiotic idea. An idiotic idea he couldn’t even be bothered to think through before uttering out loud.

“Fine,” he sighed. “But just so you know, Magnus is coming too.”

He could hear Izzy’s exasperated groan and it almost made him snicker.

“No, Alec, I told you, you have to bring an actual date,” she repeated slowly as if explaining the fact to a little child.

“And that’s exactly what I’m doing,” he added, trying to sound confident, while mentally slapping himself in the face. “Magnus is my date. We’re−we’re dating now,” he managed to stutter, having enough common sense to tilt the phone away from his ear before Izzy’s squeal could affect his hearing.

“What? What do you mean ‘we’re dating now’? What’s happening? Why are you telling me just now?” she fired the questions at him, her voice getting louder with each one.

“Because,” he dragged out the word, “it just… happened recently? And we’re still figuring it out? We didn’t want to make a big deal out of it,” he explained, his statements sounding more like questions than anything.

“Alec! You need to tell me everything! You can’t just not make a big deal out of something like this,” she chastised him.

“Look, I’d love to sit and chat, but umm, Chairman is eating the flowers again, I gotta go, I’ll talk to you later, bye,” he blurted out in a hurry and finished the call before she could protest any further.

He put his phone away and fell back down on his pillow, his head in his hands. _What did you just do, you idiot?_ he asked himself. How was he going to get out of this situation? He couldn’t just call Izzy back and tell her it was a lie, that he was not dating Magnus and that he was still very much secretly in love with him. It would be pathetic and that was the last thing he wanted to feel at the moment.

He looked at the clock again. 11:30. Maybe Magnus was still awake. He was the only person he wanted to and should talk to about this situation he just got both of them in.

He unlocked his phone and sent him a quick text, even if he was in his own room, a few doors over.

 

_[To: Magnus]_  
_[23:33]_  
_You still up? I need to talk to you_

_[From: Magnus]_  
_[23:34]_  
_Yup, come over_

 

He left his phone on his bed, his book long forgotten, and walked over to Magnus’s room, knocking softly out of habit, even if he knew he was welcome in. He opened the door and saw Magnus typing away at his laptop, Chairman Meow curled up next to him fast asleep. Magnus looked up and smiled sweetly at him, the smile that was always certain to make him melt.

“What’s wrong?” he asked when he noticed Alec’s undoubtedly anxious demeanor, his shoulders tense, one hand rubbing circles into the palm of the other.

It was another reason why he loved Magnus; how well he knew Alec, how he was able to notice the smallest shift in his behaviour, and how he always knew what to say or what to do to help him calm down. Magnus closed his laptop, put it away and patted the empty space next to him, startling Chairman in the process.

Alec threw himself on the bed, his face hitting the pillow with a soft thud.

“I did something stupid,” he announced, his voice muffled. He turned on his side and reached out to pet the ball of fur that was now purring loudly.

“You’ll have to be more specific, Alexander,” Magnus laughed softly, eliciting a tiny smile from Alec at hearing Magnus call him by his full name.

“So I may have told Izzy that we’ve accepted her invitation to go to Luke and Alaric’s log cabin for a week,” he began, his anxiety growing by the minute.

“There must be more to it, because so far it doesn’t sound to me like you did anything stupid,” Magnus said with mirth. “On the contrary.”

“Well, she gave me an ultimatum,” he continued. “I have to bring a date so I won’t feel alone around my siblings and their significant others or whatever.”

Magnus hummed to show Alec he was listening, but waited patiently for him to finish.

“And I basically told her that we’re dating and I would bring you as my plus one,” he managed to get out, shutting his eyes and making a distressed face at his own stupidity.

“What?” Magnus asked, not unlike Izzy when she heard Alec’s surprising statement.

Alec got into a sitting position, finally looking Magnus in the eye. Chairman Meow must have gotten annoyed by his continuous shifting because he stretched and jumped off the bed and out the door.

“I know, I know, it was a stupid idea, I don’t even know what got into me, I just−”, he paused and took a deep breath, breaking eye contact with Magnus. “I didn’t wanna go through the stress of going on multiple dates until I met someone who wouldn’t find me crazy enough to invite them on a family trip in the woods just a few days after we met, and, knowing my luck, that would never happen. Plus, it’s supposed to be a vacation with everyone, our friends and family, and it just wouldn’t feel complete if you weren’t there, so,” he trailed off, out of breath from his hasty rant.

He looked back up at Magnus to find the smallest of smiles on his lips, his eyebrows furrowed fondly and his eyes warm, so warm Alec felt himself deflate, whatever anxiety he’d had before coming in here gone. Magnus cleared his throat then and shifted his gaze away.

“So, was Izzy not gonna invite me and ask me to bring a date too then?” he teased Alec, making him laugh yet again at how much less complicated this situation could have been. Except it would have made things even worse, being stuck in the middle of nowhere for a week and having to see Magnus with someone else.

“Shut up, of course she was,” he nudged Magnus’s side playfully. “She just didn’t see a point in it after I told her… you know,” he couldn’t finish because hearing his own ridiculous idea out loud one more time was going to give him a headache.

“You know we’re not in a movie, Alec, and, even if we were, these things never work out well,” he explained, his voice steady and concerned yet still impossibly gentle.

“Well, it worked for Jake and Amy, right?” Alec joked, earning an eyebrow raise and a tilt of the head from Magnus. “Yeah, Magnus, I know, I already told you I did something stupid, this is stupid, I should call Izzy back and tell her I lied or… I don’t know I’ll think of something,” he added, moving to get up from the bed, before Magnus touched his arm to stop him, letting it linger there while he spoke.

“Wait,” he said, sounding unsure, his gaze on the sheets, unfocused. Alec watched him carefully for a few seconds until he saw one corner of his lips twitch up almost imperceptibly. He then looked back up at Alec, smiling slightly. “I’m in,” he announced simply.

“What?” Alec asked, genuinely taken aback, his mouth opening and closing a few times before he managed to pull out a few more words. “You’re serious?”

“Yeah, I mean, it would be weird to call Izzy now and back down, and, let’s be real, there’s nobody you could meet in due time who wouldn’t think you’re a creepy serial killer who wants to take him to a secluded cabin and murder him,” he said, making both of them laugh. “And, like I said, this isn’t a movie, this is real life. This is us,” he added, with a smile, “and we can always talk to each other if we feel we can’t keep it up or something is wrong, right?”

“Yeah, right,” Alec nodded, his voice hoarse. “We can.”

“Then we can do this, if you think it’ll get Izzy off your back,” he assured Alec, squeezing his arm and winking at him.

“Are you sure? I can still talk to her about it, explain everything,” he offered, not wanting to make Magnus feel pressured to do something he wasn’t comfortable with just because he was his best friend and they always got each other out of the craziest situations.

“Nonsense,” Magnus brushed him off. “We’ll talk about it all tomorrow when we’re well rested and it’s not midnight,” he promised, visibly suppressing a yawn.

“Right, okay,” Alec laughed, getting up from the bed. “Good night, Magnus,” he turned to him on his way to the door.

“Good night, Alexander,” he responded, his voice warm as always, giving Alec enough hope that they would be able to pull this off. Or maybe it was his tired brain that told him that, but he was too sleep deprived to care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it!! The next two chapters are much more eventful lmao and are waiting to be posted. I still haven't decided how often I'm going to update it (depends on the feedback), but I don't wanna make you guys wait more than a week in between <3 You can also find me on [tumblr](http://maialec.tumblr.com/) ;)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise this is the last chapter with a B99 reference!! At least I hope so? :)))
> 
> Anyways, as you can tell by the word count, a lot more action happens in this one, so strap in lmao

_I basically told her that we’re dating and I would bring you as my plus one._

When Magnus had heard those words come out of Alec’s mouth, he’d had no idea what to feel and in what order.

At first his heart had dropped in his stomach because the thought of actually dating Alec was everything he’d wanted for as long as he could remember. Then he’d let himself feel flattered that Alec would think to come up with such a crazy scenario, before coming back to reality with a mental cold shower of _“Don’t fool yourself, he said it just because you two are best friends, always there for each other even in the hardest of times”_. All of this in just a mere few seconds, before his brain had started working properly again, enough for him to stutter out a _“What?”_.

Then he’d heard Alec’s explanation, him giving reasonable arguments like he always did, but what had made Magnus consider actually going through with this whole charade had been _“it’s supposed to be a vacation with our family, and it just wouldn’t feel complete if you weren’t there”_. His heart still ached in the best way hearing Alec say it, that he was part of his family and thus he couldn’t fathom the idea of spending time away from him while on a supposed “family trip”.

So he’d given in and accepted to go through with it, expecting to come to his senses in the morning and hear a little voice in his head telling him to call the whole thing off. That voice, scolding him for deciding to still be on board with the plan when he woke up, sounded an awful lot like his dear friend Catarina. He could already hear her mocking tone that simply concealed genuine care and worry for him, for what this could do to his already fragile heart if it all went sideways.

But, even so, the mere thought that he could spend an entire week letting himself feel what it would be like to have this − a relationship with the man he’d been in love with for so long he didn’t remember a time when he wasn’t − was stronger than his common sense. And, regardless of what happened, he’d be surrounded by friends in a beautiful place, and he couldn’t think of anyone else he would rather enjoy all of it with than Alec.

 

***

 

“So have you thought about how we’re gonna do this?” Magnus asked conversationally over breakfast, amused by the stunned expression he got in response, Alec’s mouth chewing on a ridiculously big bite of pancake.

“Oh, yeah, um,” he eventually said after he swallowed his food and took a sip of coffee. “Well, I think the first step would be to set a,” he paused to think for a second, looking out the window, “comprehensive set of rules,” he finished, making Magnus roll his eyes.

“I’m telling you, you’ve watched too much Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Have you prepared a binder for us to memorize too?” he teased and Alec threw a strawberry at him. He was lucky Magnus wasn’t wearing his silk robe or he would’ve had Alec take it to the cleaners. “But, yes, I think that’s very good for starters,” he added, popping the fruit into his mouth.

“Great, well, what should our first rule be?” Alec asked after he finished his pancake.

Magnus thought it over for a second. As much as he hated to admit, they had to set boundaries, because without boundaries, lines would get blurred, messages would get mixed and, inevitably, feelings would get hurt, and Magnus had a sneaking suspicion it would be his own feelings that would get the short end of the stick if this ended up in a disaster. All of this should have made him back down until now, but he couldn’t help giving into his foolish hopes that maybe, if this all worked out, he would get the courage he needed to tell Alec how he felt.

So he held onto that while he considered what would ruin him most in this scenario.

“Oh, I know,” he said. “No lip-locks, unless extremely necessary. Any other kisses are allowed, but only around the others.”

Because if there was anything that would destroy Magnus, it would be knowing what kissing Alec felt like, only to never be allowed that again. His heart could take a lot, had taken a lot over the years, but this he would not bear.

He could see the gears turning in Alec’s head as he stared at him, his finger tapping nervously on the table.

“Yeah, of course, no kissing, that makes sense, we don’t want it to get too,” he waved his hand around trying to look for a word that could describe what they’d signed themselves up for. “Messy,” is what he settled on.

And, oh yes, _messy_ was written all over this thing. Magnus couldn’t agree more. If they weren’t careful, it could put a strain on their friendship, no matter how long lasting it had been so far or how much they’d gone through together. This could be the tipping point, and the fact that they were even going along with it was insane.

“I mean we could always just, you know, play the whole ‘we’re not big fans of PDA’ card,” Alec suggested, stuttering his words along the way. “It’s not like we’ve never been affectionate with each other before,” he trailed off, not meeting Magnus’s gaze.

“You’re right,” he mused. “We don’t have to change our behaviour completely, that would make it look suspicious,” he pointed and Alec nodded along.

“But, since you told Isabelle we’ve just recently started dating, and this is supposed to be our ‘honeymoon phase’, I think they’re expecting us to not be able to keep our hands off each other,” Magnus explained, wiggling his eyebrows, a mischievous glint in his eyes that made Alec blush visibly and bow his head to try to hide it.

“I guess you’re right,” he cleared his throat and met Magnus’s eyes again, smiling bashfully.

Magnus could sense his unease from a mile away, so he did what he always did when trying to calm him down. He reached out and put his hand over Alec’s, rubbing soothing circles into his soft skin.

“Hey, we don’t have to put on a show,” Magnus smiled. “We just have to be ourselves, like you said, just… more touchy than usual,” he added, satisfied with himself at making Alec laugh, the tension in his shoulders dissipated.

“One final rule?” Alec asked, raising his other hand on the table, offering his pinky finger out to Magnus.

“What do you have in mind?” he asked in lieu of a response.

“No matter what happens, we will not let this ruin our friendship,” Alec stated, more serious now, his eyes focused on Magnus. “At the end of the week we come back as the same Magnus and Alec.”

And if that didn’t sound like complete relief, to know that they were still, without mistake, always on the same page, always reading each other’s thoughts. He’d told himself many times he would rather never take a leap and confess his feelings, content to simply have Alec’s unending friendship for however many days they’d have, than to risk losing him altogether. And knowing that Alec would not let that happen reassured him and gave him the strength to see this entire plan through.

He raised his own pinky and linked it with Alec’s, big, hopeful smiles on both of their faces.

“Deal.”

 

***

 

The late afternoon sun was peeking through the tall buildings surrounding him like a cage, the warmth not unwelcome or suffocating, but rather soothing, and Alec couldn’t wait to bask in it once out of the stiff confinement of the city. He leaned on the hood of his car, arms crossed, brushing off some invisible lint from his shirt while waiting for Magnus to come down with his bags.

He heard the distinct sound of the door unlocking and turned to see him come out, dragging his suitcase behind while juggling a carry-on bag on his shoulder. Alec moved away from the car to help him, but Magnus waved him off before opening the door and throwing his bag carelessly inside. He then opened the trunk and placed his suitcase next to Alec’s own and Alec didn’t have enough willpower not to stare, not when the muscles of Magnus’s bare arms tensed with the effort, his soft skin catching the sunlight making it warm to the touch. Or at least that was what Alec imagined it would feel like if he were to actually touch him.

“Got everything you need?” Alec chuckled, teasing evident in his tone.

Magnus perked up only to roll his eyes when he saw the look on Alec’s face. He shut the trunk and moved to the door of the passenger seat.

“I think we have established many moons ago, my dear, that it’s impossible for me to be a light packer, regardless of destination,” he explained before following Alec inside the car.

“How’s Chairman?”

“Settled in at Catarina’s. Though I think Dot is actually gonna be the one to take care of him since Cat’s always working late shifts at the hospital,” Magnus said.

“I’m gonna miss him,” Alec confessed, turning on the engine and putting his seatbelt on.

“Oh, he’s not even going to notice our absence,” Magnus laughed. “As long as he has someone to feed him, he’s gonna be content.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Alec chuckled.

However anxious Alec was at the thought of what this week would entail, he tried not to let it show and, for the next two hours, conversation flowed easily between them like it always did, accompanied by the occasional comfortable silence or Magnus’s melodic voice singing along to the radio.

If he was honest with himself, he was a bit excited, both at the prospect of spending time with his friends, but also at allowing himself to act on impulse around Magnus for the first time. To wrap his arms around him whenever he wanted, to hold hands with him, to keep him close and never let go, and if it all sounded selfish, then that was on him.

He could afford to be selfish once in a while.

 

***

 

The car slowed down on a winding road and the shape of a log cabin could be made out through the trees. When they came to a stop, Magnus could finally see it in its entirety; an impressive wooden house overlooking the lake, a quaint patio with a fire pit adjoining the front porch where he saw two silhouettes moving. He recognized Isabelle’s long dark hair bouncing as she ran down the stairs, Maia trailing behind her in skittish leaps.

He heard Alec giggle at the sight of his sister and smiled, getting out of the car to greet them. Alec barely managed to shut the door before Isabelle threw herself in his arms hugging him tightly, eliciting a laugh from her brother.

“It’s nice to see you too, Izzy,” he announced, slightly lifting her up with the force of the hug. Magnus went to hug Maia before he could be attacked as well, but no sooner had he wrapped his arms around her than Isabelle was at his side, her hands on her hips and one eyebrow raised pointedly.

“And it’s nice to see _you two_ ,” she said, putting emphasis on the last words and looking back and forth between him and Alec. “How was your drive? Did you get lost?”

“Well, we’re here on time, so I’d say not,” Magnus answered, moving to hug her as well. “Where are the others?”

“About that,” Isabelle began, her smile turning sheepish.

He turned to Alec only to be met with an equally confused furrow of his brows, eyes squinting while he appraised his sister.

“Aline called yesterday and told me that she and Helen won’t be coming,” she explained. “Uh, something urgent came up at work and they had to cancel.”

“Okay…” Alec drawled, brushing off her strange behaviour. “Are Jace and Simon here yet?” he asked while he got the bags out of the trunk.

“They should be arriving soon, but knowing Jace’s sense of direction, soon is gonna be a while,” Maia chuckled.

“Well, until then we can get you settled in,” Isabelle waved them on and they followed suit.

The interior was even more imposing than they saw outside through the tall windows. They entered a grand, open space, the front door facing the stairs that lead up to, he presumed, the bedrooms. On either side of them were a cosy living room near the fireplace and a dining area accompanying the kitchen from where he could hear Luke and Alaric chatting animatedly while moving around, cutting up vegetables and fretting over the stove. It was the kind of place that would feel homely even to a stranger, every decoration, every picture on the wall serving to bind it all together in a warm embrace.

The two men turned around when they heard them come in, kind smiles on their faces.

“I see the first wave of guests has arrived,” Alaric remarked, wiping his hands on a towel then throwing it over his shoulder. “How was the trip?”

“Great” “Splendid”, Alec and Magnus replied at the same time, earning a breathy laugh from Alaric and a titter from Luke who was still supervising the stove. He crossed his arms and smirked with a raised eyebrow.

“Go leave your stuff upstairs so you can come help us over here,” Luke said, amusement in his tone.

“Yes, sir,” Maia joked. “I’ll show them around.”

She lead them up to a room at the end of the corridor that had a beautiful view of the mountains, the last few rays of sunshine bathing the space in a honeyed glow. Maia left them to get settled and they took to unpacking, gravitating around each other with ease as if they’d just come back home from a long trip and not the other way around.

It felt like they were trying to enjoy the last few moments of normalcy before they had to face the others and, without a doubt, Isabelle’s interrogation about the nature of their supposed relationship. Magnus was glad that on the way here they had managed to come up with an explanation to how they actually ended up in this arrangement. They’d agreed that they didn’t have to go into detail, that something changed one day and it just happened, an organic development of their already strong connection.

With that in mind, he felt if only a bit more prepared to face her questions, but most importantly, to lie to his friends, something that he was still not entirely happy with. Regardless, he promised he would have Alec’s back no matter what and if that meant having to hide the full truth from them, then he was gonna have to go along with it.

 

***

 

Alec was expecting not to get a breather once they went back downstairs and his heart beat more and more erratically by the second. However, when Luke assigned them all tasks and a few minutes of casual conversation passed over the sound of vegetables being chopped and meat being fried, he let himself feel relieved that maybe they would get away from any intruding questions that, though rehearsed, he still felt completely unequipped to answer.

He was foolish, of course, to let his guard down as, when he heard Izzy’s exaggerated sweet voice asking _“So, don’t you two have something you need to tell me?”_ , his hand betrayed him and the knife he was holding scraped dangerously close to his forefinger, almost slicing it in the process. He heard Luke snicker behind her and Alec was convinced that the poor man had probably had to listen to her complaints the entire day before they arrived.

“Umm,” he stuttered out eventually, “do we?”

Izzy gave him an irritated look at his reaction. She tilted her head to one side and, when she realised she wasn’t getting any response from either Alec or Magnus, she persisted.

“My brother and his best friend decide to elope and not let any of us know?”

Her tone was getting more agitated with every word, but Alec recognized something else in her voice. It was the underlying layer of hurt, that the person closest to her whom she shared everything with decided to hide a life changing event from her, something he had wanted for the longest time. Something he still longed for.

“We didn’t get married, Izzy,” Alec sighed, trying to keep his tone gentle. “We just… started dating and it happened so fast we didn’t have a chance to figure it out ourselves, let alone tell anyone else,” he finished.

“And your invitation here was so sudden, neither of us had time to meet up with you and chat,” Magnus supplied, putting a hand on Alec’s shoulder in a sign of support.

Izzy shook her head and smiled, going back to stirring the sauce.

“Well, it doesn’t matter now. You two are together and I couldn’t be happier,” she beamed, her eyes as bright as the stars.

Alec smiled back at her, feeling the familiar heat of a blush creeping up his neck, paired with the small pang in his chest at remembering that she was happy for something that had and would probably never happen.

“There must be a story to it, right?” Maia smirked. “It didn’t just come out of nowhere.”

He felt Magnus’s hand tense on his shoulder and retreat, trailing down the length of his arm as it went. They looked at each other, a silent confirmation in their eyes that they were ready to do this.

“It wasn’t anything spectacular,” Magnus began. He paused for a moment trying to find his words and Alec watched him carefully, prepared to step in at any time. “We went out for dinner one night, like we often do, then we walked in the park for a while. It was filled with fairy lights from a festival that took place the week before,” he trailed off.

Alec didn’t understand what Magnus was doing. This wasn’t what they’d discussed, hell, they hadn’t even rehearsed an actual story, but he tried to shake off his confusion so as not to raise any suspicions.

Then he smiled, realising he knew what night he was referring to. He remembered it perfectly. They had gone to dinner at their favorite restaurant for no other reason than treating themselves after a long and tiring week. Because it hadn’t been too late by the time they left, they’d decided to take a stroll around Central Park on their way home, walking next to each other in silence with the occasional comment on passers-by that had them both chuckling under their breaths.

It had been the perfect summer evening, the warm breeze caressing their skin gently as they relished each other’s company. They had sat on a bench overlooking the water after a while, the twinkling fairy lights adorning the trees bouncing back on its surface and suffusing their surroundings with a whimsical glow. Magnus had been recounting a story, watching tiny boats float by on the lake, but Alec had zoned out after a moment, enraptured by the way the golden flickers reflected in his eyes and made Alec wonder, not for the first time, how it was possible for eyes so dark to be so full of light.

Magnus had looked back at him then, a distracted smile on his lips, and all Alec could think in that moment had been _“I really wanna kiss you right now”_. He could have sworn he’d seen Magnus’s gaze shift to his own lips almost imperceptibly for the briefest of seconds before meeting his eyes again, but he now brushed it off as the charged atmosphere or him having projected his own feelings.

He snapped back to the present when he noticed that Magnus hadn’t continued his story and he read it as his queue.

“Yeah, we sat on a bench and one minute we were talking, the other…,” he paused, holding Magnus’s gaze as he continued, “I really wanted to kiss him. So I did,” he shrugged as if it would have been the simplest thing; to take a chance that night and act on his feelings without caring about the outcome.

Magnus smiled at him and he had that look in his eyes he often wore when Alec said or did something that took him by surprise. Alec hoped this counted as a good one.

“Aw, that sounds lovely,” Izzy cooed, bringing them out of their daze. “I’m glad you finally took your head out of your ass and actually did something,” she addressed Alec.

As a testament to his stupidity, he hadn’t taken into consideration his sister’s passion for teasing him and the last thing he needed right now was for her to give him away and bare his feelings in front of Magnus.

The distinct honking of a car saved him like a heavenly chime and he sent a silent prayer to whoever was watching over him for his brother’s excellent timing. Izzy ran outside to greet Jace and Simon while Maia turned to watch her, popping a slice of bell pepper in her mouth.

“Looks like Hansel and Gretel finally showed up,” she said, making Magnus snort. “Someone must’ve eaten all the crumbs we left out for them.” She walked to the door to hug Simon and pat Jace on the back, one of the rare gestures of affection between the two of them.

“They’re right on time,” Magnus whispered conspiratorially at Alec with a smile.

“Saved by the bell,” he agreed.

After Jace and Simon were settled in as well, they all sat down to eat. Laughter and chatter filled the house as they caught up on each other’s lives, shared stories and poked fun at Jace’s terrible driving skills.

“Why didn’t you let Simon drive then?” Alec asked him, still laughing at whatever joke Maia had teased Jace with.

“Because Simon is better at reading maps than I am and I thought that it would be easier to just listen to his directions,” he explained.

“Yeah, if only you _would have_ listened to them and stopped arguing that you know better,” Simon retorted annoyed, but it only made Jace roll his eyes fondly at him because he knew very well that his boyfriend was right. It was just too much fun to rile him up.

 

***

 

After dinner, Magnus offered to do the dishes, dragging Alec along with him, while the others went outside to start up a fire. They worked together in silence for a while before Alec broke it in a soft tone.

“Quick thinking back there,” he said and turned to Magnus who was fixing him with a confused look. “You know, with the story. We never actually got to elaborate on that, so we have your improv skills to thank,” he laughed, busying himself with rubbing frantically at a spotless plate.

“Right, my improv skills,” Magnus chuckled shakily and went back to wiping the cutlery.

It had indeed been inspired of him to conjure up a story that would seem believable and simple enough to fit the two of them. But the reason he’d even thought of that particular night in the first place was not random. It had been what Magnus could consider one of the best dates he’d had in a long time; and it hadn’t even been a date.

It was funny because it hadn’t been the first time they went out at that particular place or they took that particular path back home. It had been completely ordinary and yet somehow entirely different. Magnus was certain that, had it not been for Alec clearing his throat and announcing that they should head back home, the warm air filled with wonder and the glimmers making Alec’s long eyelashes cast shadows on his cheeks would have prompted Magnus to lean in and kiss him without looking back.

“For what it’s worth, you weren’t too bad yourself,” he spoke up again. “I almost believed you,” he added with a smile, trying to sound nonchalant, but hanging onto those words like a lifeline.

Alec returned his smile with a tender glint in his eyes.

“Good,” he stated simply, without flourish and without averting his gaze; like he meant it.

 

***

 

They went outside to see the others already gathered around the fire, their carefree laughs painting the night with bright colors. Sparks of light flew over their heads before they rose up to the dark sky and joined the stars in a dance.

Izzy looked up from her spot on the ground and waved them over to sit next to her on a soft pillow that she must have taken from the patio chairs. Magnus sat down before him and they joined the others in listening to Simon and Maia recount a childhood story that made very little sense unless heard in its entirety.

Alec didn’t know when he’d stopped listening, too distracted by Magnus’s bubbly laugh and blinding smile, too busy throwing glances at him every once in a while, too stunned by the way the light shifted on Magnus’s features making them impossibly softer. The flames, however, didn’t seem to provide much heat since Alec noticed, after the conversation shifted to a different topic, that Magnus’s shoulders weren’t shaking from laughter anymore, noticed the shivers going down his back as he ran his hands over the bare skin of his arms.

“You’re cold,” Alec stated, making Magnus turn his head around startled.

“I guess I didn’t think it would get this chilly in the middle of August,” he chuckled in response and gestured to the sleeveless shirt he was wearing.

Alec started unzipping his hoodie, intending to give it to him, but Magnus waved him off with an incredulous smile.

“Don’t be silly, you are less tolerant to the cold than anyone I know. You’ll be freezing by the time you take it off,” he giggled and Alec couldn’t argue with that. Still, he could argue that Magnus was getting colder by the second and he wouldn’t have that happen.

“Wait here,” he announced, moving to get up from his spot. He heard Magnus mutter something that sounded an awful lot like _“I’m not going anywhere”_ as he walked away and inside the cabin to grab a blanket from the sofa.

When he returned, he sat down just an inch closer to Magnus than before and bundled both of them up in the soft fabric.

“There. All better,” he whispered and, without thinking about it, put his arm around Magnus’s shoulder.

He was so close Alec could sense his own skin tingling at every point of contact, could feel the heat already radiating from Magnus’s body, could smell the distinct sweetness of his shampoo, could count the small hairs in his goatee and it was all haze and elation as he leaned in and pressed his lips to Magnus’s temple, letting them linger there for an infinitesimal moment that sent electricity coursing through his body.

When he pulled away, the haze was gone and a chill went down his spine as he realised what he’d done and expected Magnus to tense up and move away. He could swear his heart leaped in his chest when instead Magnus scooted even closer and rested his head on Alec’s shoulder, taking the hand placed on his own and wrapping it around his waist. He knew his brain wasn’t responding properly anymore, everything around him a blur except for Magnus whose strands of hair tickled his neck and kept his every sense alert, kept him grounded in reality.

And this was reality, as much as he wanted to argue and remind himself that what they were doing was for show and that it didn’t mean anything, here, in this moment, he let himself pretend it meant something to Magnus too and it wasn’t just good acting skills anymore.

 

***

 

It neared midnight by the time they put the fire out and retreated to their rooms. While Magnus was in the bathroom getting ready for sleep, Alec seemed to be stuck in time as he stood there motionless, eyes fixated on the bed.

He hadn’t taken it in when they’d first arrived earlier today, the thought of sharing it with Magnus not having crossed his mind once. It wasn’t the first time the would be, after all, quite the contrary. When they were younger and going to sleepovers with their friends, they always ended up in the same bed for no other reason than convenience. They were the only two of their group who never fought over the blanket, none of them snored loud enough to disturb the other, and they spent so much time together during the day that it only seemed natural for them to do so at night too. It shouldn’t feel unusual.

And yet now, coming back from the campfire, Alec’s skin still tingled everywhere he’d touched Magnus, his lips still felt warm from when they pressed to Magnus’s hair and, for some reason, he was still holding the blanket they’d shared, having forgotten to leave it downstairs. He wasn’t going to start thinking about the implications looming over them as well, that, to everyone else, they were technically a couple and couples slept together and cuddled and a whole number of other things that he had no energy to dwell on in that moment.

He tried to snap out of it when he heard Magnus approach and got ready for bed himself. All he had to do was remember that there was no point in making a big deal about it because then the tension he felt within him would escape and float freely in the air. So they said “good night” and let each other’s slow breaths lure them to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it!! You can also find me on [tumblr](http://maialec.tumblr.com/) where I'll be keeping you posted about the updates and all that fun stuff ;)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it would seem I am also very fond of fairytale references... Anyways, let Malec reclaim all the cheesy fairytale tropes from the str8s thank you and good bye :) <3

Magnus’s eyelids fluttered open, disturbed by the sunbeams seeping through the translucent curtains. He was lying on his back, smooth sheets thrown over his waist, and his eyes trailed the edge of them to rest on the figure sleeping next to him.

The defined muscles of Alec’s back shifted almost unnoticeably with every deep breath he took, his mouth blowing soft puffs of air that made Magnus smile in his haze. He had forgotten about Alec’s little snores or how adorable he was when he slept, looking so young and free of worries, his hair a mess, his face relaxed and his lips pursed. It took everything in him not to reach out and trace the skin of his cheek with his fingers.

It was this thought that made him notice Alec’s right hand resting on his own shoulder, the touch so faint he would have barely felt it, had it not been for the fact that the sight of it made something heavy and light all the same press on his chest. The palm of his hand and his long fingers had found themselves there sometime during the night as if Alec had grabbed unconsciously at Magnus’s sleeping form to keep himself grounded in the world of dreams or to simply _touch_ and feel him there. It made him think back on the night before, at the campfire, and how good and warm and safe it felt to be wrapped up in Alec’s arms, how he wished he could’ve woken up the same, how he wished he could wake up like that for the rest of days.

Magnus let himself bask in this for a little longer before he had to come back to reality. He stretched and got out of bed slowly so as not to disturb Alec or the bubble of imaginary bliss he’d briefly indulged in.

Having made himself look presentable, he went downstairs to find Maia sitting on one of the stools at the kitchen counter, still in her pajamas and giggling over the rim of her coffee mug as Alaric was talking to her. She turned her head and smiled when she saw Magnus approach, greeting him cheerily and offering him a cup of coffee. He took a sip and closed his eyes in contentment. Of course Maia knew exactly how he liked it, after all he got it from her coffee shop every morning when he went to work.

“Are the others up yet?” he asked after he took one more sip.

“Jace dragged Simon out for his morning run a few minutes ago, despite his whining,” she announced and Magnus started laughing at the thought of the banter that must have gone down, knowing Simon wasn’t an athletic person. Still, since dating Jace, he had slowly warmed up to the idea, but that didn’t mean he was fond of it just yet.

“And Izzy is still in bed,” she continued, finishing her coffee in one gulp.

“You two should go wake up your sleeping beauties from their slumber,” Luke said as he nudged Alaric with his elbow, who took it as a signal to take out the plates and cutlery from the cabinet above his head. “Breakfast’s almost ready.”

“Simon and his fitness trainer should be back too,” Alaric joked, though his face stayed implacable which, Magnus thought, made the delivery all the more savory.

Luke must have thought the same thing judging by the laugh he let out, followed by a shake of his head and something unintelligible being muttered under his breath.

“Unless they stopped for a swim,” Luke suggested, wiggling his eyebrows, and Maia groaned at her fathers’ antics.

“Come on, Magnus, let’s go,” she prodded and got up from her seat.

When Magnus reentered the bedroom, Alec was in the same position he’d left him in, but now his right arm was outstretched all the way to Magnus’s side of the bed. His heart clenched and a breathy chuckle spilled out of him, overwhelmed with affection at the sight before his eyes.

He sat down on the bed and pressed a gentle hand to Alec’s own, trying to slowly shake the sleep away from him. When all he got was a displeased grunt, Magnus decided it was time to bring out the big guns. He shifted his hand from Alec’s and, in one swift motion, he grabbed his pillow and threw it at him, straddling Alec and making him turn over in the process.

He proceeded to bounce up and down, giggly chants of “wake up, wake up, wake up” accompanying it and making both of them laugh so hard he could see tears forming in Alec’s eyes; his beautiful, kind eyes that always crinkled at the corners when pure happiness overtook his face.

The laughter gradually faded and Magnus was certain that Alec could feel the shivers that traveled up his spine as he rested his hands on Magnus’s thighs, yet he let them linger there for a moment that felt like eternity. They were both slightly out of breath from their fit of giggles and Magnus broke eye contact for a second as his eyes roamed slowly over the expanse of Alec’s bare chest. His dark hair stood out in stark contrast to his pale skin and all Magnus wanted to do, something he always did every time he happened to come across a shirtless Alec, was run his hands through it and feel the roughness and the softness and the steady beat of his heart under him.

He chose to clear his throat instead and get off of him and out of bed. They had rules they’d promised to respect and he couldn’t let himself get swept up in everything they were doing to fool the others, lest he wanted to be the one that ended up fooled in the process.

“Breakfast is almost done so I came to get you,” he said eventually. “I’ll meet you downstairs.”

And with that he left the room. He needed to ground himself and take a breath of fresh air, his entire body having heated up, so much so that he was sure it was evident on his face. It was why he was glad to see the others were setting up a table for them to eat outside and took it as an opportunity to busy himself and help out until Alec came down as well.

 

***

 

After breakfast, Maia had suggested they went for a hike around the woods nearby because she had some place she wanted to take them to. They had been walking for a few minutes down a jagged path framed by arches of tall, bent trees, Maia and Izzy ahead of them, swaying their joined hands between each other and giggling at Simon’s whimpers.

“First _you_ drag me out at the ass crack of dawn to run,” he complained, poking Jace in the chest, “and now _you two_ decide to be sporty and drag all of us on a hike?” he turned to the two girls who would have given the impression that they were ignoring him, had it not been for the suppressed laughter and the occasional eye-roll from Maia that Alec could see every time she looked around to take in her surroundings.

He drowned out their banter not long after. Lost in thought, he kept throwing brief glances at Magnus who was walking at arm’s length from him. Ever since that morning Alec had noticed a change in his demeanor, so small that nobody but him would be able to sense it, a certain coldness and reticence, and he couldn’t help but wonder if it was his own fault.

He had been berating himself all morning that maybe Magnus thought Alec had crossed a line by placing his hands on his thighs during their playful fight. After all, they had been alone and he’d had no reason to do it, nor had he thought it through. It simply happened, something instinctual that may have also carried a deeper meaning of _“I wish I could touch you. Like this. Whenever”_ , but it only took Magnus altering his behaviour ever so slightly for him to really consider the implications of it.

He tried not to worry about it too much though, tried to smooth out the undoubtedly deep furrow of his eyebrows that might give his internal struggle away, and let the events of the day flow naturally. Maybe he was reading too much into it, like he always was, and it didn’t have to be that complicated.

As they got to a steep hill that they had to cross over, he told himself that he’d enjoy the day and follow Magnus’s lead. If he’d truly started to feel uncomfortable with the whole situation, then he would say something. He always did. Unless−

He didn’t have time to finish his train of thought as he felt the ground, soaked from rain and slick from the tall grass covering it, slip from under his foot. It would have sent him face down in a fraction of a second had it not been for a firm hand gripping his arm before he even had time to process what was happening.

When he finally looked up, he saw Magnus, a concerned frown on his face as he helped him back up, but the corners of his mouth moved to form a ludic smile almost instantly as he made eye contact with Alec for the first time in what must have been hours.

“You should be more careful, Alexander,” he said in a soft voice. “We wouldn’t want anything to happen to that handsome face of yours,” and the wink he sent Alec’s way made warmth bloom in his chest and spread all the way to the back of his neck and up his cheeks.

“Yeah, that would be unbearable,” he tried to tease back, but the shakiness of his voice betrayed the flutter in his heart at feeling Magnus’s hand trail down his forearm, so slowly and so tenderly Alec had to swallow the ghost of a lump in his throat.

He was about to let go, but Alec caught his palm in his own gently enough that, if Magnus wanted to, he could have pulled his hand away. When neither Magnus’s gaze nor his smile faltered, Alec allowed himself to intertwine their fingers, beaming back at him.

They moved to follow the others who had gotten ahead of them, running down the other side of the hill and almost falling off their feet in unison with laughter in their voices. They didn’t let go of each other’s hand for the rest of the walk.

 

***

 

In a few minutes, Maia announced that they arrived at their destination as they ducked down through the branches of a willow that opened up to a rocky shore along the lake. A stubby tree stood on a brittle, short cliff, bent over the water, a thick rope hanging from its longest bough that looked steady enough to carry the full weight of someone’s body.

Maia skipped ahead and pulled on the rope a few times to test its strength before she turned to them.

“I present to you all gathered here today,” she proclaimed in a booming voice, “the peasant swing.”

Magnus heard Jace suppress a snort next to him while Simon asked “The what?”.

“The peasant swing,” Maia repeated as if it was the most self-evident thing. “When I was little and we used to come here on holidays, Clary and I went to explore and found this place. It had the leftovers of a swing hanging from this tree, but it broke after we tried it once and the only thing that survived is this sturdy rope,” she explained, pulling on it again to demonstrate. “And now,” she climbed up the ridge, “we use it for diving.”

She started taking her shoes off, followed by her clothes, to be left in her bathing suit and Magnus heard Isabelle whistle enthusiastically, making everyone laugh as they watched Maia grasp the “peasant swing” and fling herself straight into the water. Her girlfriend cheered loudly when she emerged on the surface and gave them all a thumbs up.

Simon wasted no time in trying it out himself as he discarded his clothes while running up the hill. He threw himself off of it, his clumsy jump sending splashes of water everywhere.

“Come on, Jace!” he yelled as he shook off the droplets from his hair. “You’re not scared are you?”

This elicited a snicker from Jace, who followed his lead and, soon after, everyone was taking turns, swinging from the rope or pushing each other off the tiny cliff. The golden sunbeams and warm breeze kissed their skin as they swam around and splashed each other until their chests hurt from laughter.

As Magnus approached the edge of the hill, intent on making a dramatic entrance this time around, he stood there for a moment, taking everything in. The imperturbable tranquility of the lake, however disturbed occasionally by his friends’ high jinks, the scorching sun of early afternoon drying off the beads of water still clung to his skin, and the feather-light tickle on his waist as two hands slid around it.

It was then that he noticed who was missing from the group and he let a smile pull at his lips, relief flooding his senses. He’d promised himself that he would let Alec set the pace in how much intimacy they showed around their friends, afraid that he would cross a line like he almost had that morning when the others weren’t even present. A part of him was glad Alec hadn’t been scared off and was still on the same page because, as dangerous as it was, he wasn’t ready to let go of their little game and go back to friendly touches that held no further meaning.

“What are you doing?” Magnus asked him, the tremble of his voice betraying the shivers he felt where Alec was holding him.

“Admiring the view,” he responded and Magnus could feel the shrug of his shoulders and the warmth of his words as they were breathed on his nape.

He turned slowly, placing his hands on Alec’s forearms and rubbing circles with his thumbs into the soft skin. He had enough self-restraint not to let his eyes trail lower than the juncture of Alec’s collarbones, instead locking their gazes together and whispering _“Me too”_ into the faint space between them.

The lopsided smile he got in return was distracting enough for Magnus not to realise what was happening until he felt the solid press of Alec’s hands as he spun them around. It was his quick instincts that made him wrap his arms tightly around Alec’s neck before they were both falling gracelessly into the water beneath them.

When they came up for air, they were still clinging to each other as their bodies were shaking with giggles and coughs and Magnus slapped Alec’s shoulder in a half-hearted punishment.

“Why did you do that?” he asked, feigning offence, but the beam on his face spoke of nothing but pure joy and affection.

“I wanted to make a _splash_ ,” Alec replied, putting exaggerated emphasis on the last word and wiggling his eyebrows, undoubtedly proud of his lame attempt at a pun.

“You are ridiculous,” Magnus sniggered.

“And you’re jealous of my amazing puns,” he retorted, grinning from ear to ear, his hands still clasped around Magnus’s waist.

Right there, bathed in the hazy sunshine, his pale skin glowing and the green speckles in his eyes gleaming as they melted with the brown, Alec looked nothing short of angelic and Magnus felt his own hands move back around his neck before he had a chance to stop them. Even in the bright sunlight, he saw Alec’s pupils dilating ever so slightly and his eyelids drooping.

He couldn’t dare lower his gaze to his lips so, instead, he let a smirk cross his own before he used the leverage he had on his neck to jump off the bottom of the lake and push Alec down under the water.

“Revenge!” he yelled when he saw Alec struggle, but he rejoiced too soon as firm hands gripped his thighs and pulled him under in a swift motion.

He wrapped his legs tightly around Alec’s waist, determined to make him lose his balance, but he was promptly diverted by the realisation of how close they were, their hips pressed together, their bare chests almost touching and, though the water was supposed to be cold, all he could feel was the heat surging within his body from every point of contact.

They rose back to the surface then, both of them panting heavily, but laughing all the same, and Magnus tried his best to put the slightest bit of distance between each other and shake off the tension he’d felt building up, for fear of giving away his fluster.

Luckily, he was reminded they weren’t alone by Isabelle’s giggles traveling all the way back from the land.

“Hey, lovebirds! Are you done yet?” she shouted and Magnus turned his head to see she was tying her hair in a bun while the others were trying to put their clothes back on over their still damp skin.

They hung out on the shore a little longer before heading back to the cabin, right on time to see Luke and Alaric busying themselves over the grill, the inviting smell of barbecue filling the air and making them realize how hungry and tired they really were from the day’s activities.

 

***

 

Later that night, everybody gathered around in the living room to watch a movie, but Alec decided to make himself some tea and sit on the swing they had on the porch, the chill and stillness of the night luring him outside.

He needed some time alone to clear his head from everything that had happened that day, but the cool breeze didn’t do much to help him get rid of the buzzing under his skin and the ghostly tremor in his limbs at the memory of Magnus, his hands all over him, so close and yet not close enough to sate his touch starved body.

As if the universe hadn’t been mocking him enough, he heard the squeak of the front door opening and closing as someone approached him and he didn’t have to look up to know who it was. Still, he did and saw Magnus gesture for him to scoot over so he could join him. Alec complied, both elation and calm spreading over his heart in a flash when Magnus lay down on his back, his legs bent so he could fit, and placed his head in Alec’s lap, closing his eyes.

“I have a headache,” he deadpanned with a sigh and it made Alec chuckle.

“Must be from the sun,” Alec suggested, sipping his boiling hot tea.

Magnus hummed in approval and looked up at Alec, a small smile forming on his face. Yet again Alec was struck with the intensity Magnus held in his eyes, for as dark as they were, the deep brown almost mingling with the black of his pupils, their glint shone so bright it lit up a fire in Alec’s chest.

“Your lap is not very comfortable, you know,” Magnus said then with a displeased look on his face, trying to adjust his head in a comfortable position.

“Oh, okay, well, I’ll bring out a pillow for you specifically next time,” Alec retorted, no real heat to his voice, making Magnus laugh out loud. “I guess now I have to go upstairs and take out that pea I put under our mattress,” he added, which earned him a light shove in his arm, and he tried not to dwell on the plural he just used.

The laughter soon dwindled, but their smiles stayed in place when Magnus spoke again.

“Today was fun,” he murmured and Alec could not agree more.

“Yeah, it was,” he whispered back.

“I don’t wanna leave this place,” Magnus said, his eyes turning somber.

“Me neither.”

And what Alec meant, though the location itself was beautiful indeed, was that he didn’t want to go back to pretending he felt nothing other than friendship for Magnus. He knew, as they sat there enjoying each other’s company in the most casual and familiar way, that it wouldn’t be hard for them to fall back into normalcy.

But that wasn’t the normal he wanted anymore. He wanted everything that had happened today and more to be their new normal. He wanted tender touches and arms around waists around necks and soft kisses, God, how much he wanted those kisses and he couldn’t have them, could never have them and it all made him dread the day they would have to go home.

He didn’t want to think about it though, not now. For now, he would enjoy every second of this fake relationship, with its rules and restrictions, and try to make the best of it. He kept that in mind as he lowered one of his hands and ran it through Magnus’s hair, making him hum in contentment as he felt his pain fade away.

And Alec wondered when his own pain would fade away as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was shorter than the previous one, but I still hope you enjoyed it!! You can also find me on [tumblr](http://maialec.tumblr.com/) where I'll be keeping you posted about the updates and all that fun stuff ;)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this one is even shorter than the last one, but we are one step closer to The Climax of the story, so stay tuned ;)
> 
> Also credits to [this post](http://hufflebee.tumblr.com/post/164969976218/in-todays-edition-of-maiaizzy-making-me) by [@hufflebee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hufflebee) and to Francy for letting me use it as an inspiration for one of the scenes in this chapter (bc the concept was too Soft not to explore further)!!

Afternoon brought with it the flaming rays of sunshine, descending from high above and casting a glow on Magnus’s skin as he lay on a lounge chair in the garden and basked in the soothing summer heat. On the seat next to him lay Alec, submerged in a book, his skin already catching a light golden tint.

Taking advantage of his gaze being obscured by his dark sunglasses, Magnus let his eyes travel down the length of Alec’s body, paying special attention to his long neck, that stretched when he got tired from hunching over his book and placed several images in Magnus’s head − of him kissing his way down that jaw, licking and nipping at that vein that stood out whenever he turned his head −, to the expanse of his strong arms, ending in large hands and impossibly long fingers that Magnus would give anything to have roaming over his body, then to his chest and abdomen, well sculpted, but not excessively so, still pliant and soft, matching his frame perfectly.

What brought him out of his reverie was his friends’ laughter, paired with the occasional thuds that resonated across the yard as they had been engaged in an intense game of darts for the past hour. So engaged that they had somehow managed to poke more holes into the tree they were throwing at than into the actual board, yet they didn’t seem to care, content to just spend time together and crack jokes.

Next to him, on the grass, Simon was engrossed in an activity of his own. Cross-legged and surrounded by twigs, he was holding a thin, curved branch, sharpening and carving it before attaching a string to both ends. Magnus found it fascinating how giving Simon a craft to busy his hands with made him almost as silent and stoic as Alec was sometimes, as he realized that he hadn’t heard his voice all afternoon. He lay back down and closed his eyes, lulled by the white noise surrounding him, of thumps and scratches and pages being turned.

He didn’t have the chance to enjoy it for too long as Simon’s distinct timbre, full of joy and enthusiasm, made him perk up and follow its source.

“My masterpiece is finished!” he announced, getting up from his spot and running to the others who stopped their game when they heard him.

Magnus turned to Alec who had placed his book on his chest and raised his head, his eyes squinting in the sunlight. He looked at Magnus with an equally puzzled and amused expression and all he could do in response was shrug his shoulders.

Their attention was diverted back to the others when they saw Simon standing in front of the tree with his back to them, arms outstretched, one hand holding the curved wooden stick, the other pulling at the string and clutching yet another stick with a sharp point that twinkled in the sun, prepared to be launched.

“Is that−,” Magnus was about to ask, but the improvised arrow had already flown ahead, hitting its target. Or at least, the edge of it.

“Yup,” Alec sighed, shaking his head wearily as the girls started clapping.

Simon seemed more than pleased with himself and his handmade bow, a smug smile pulling at his lips, even as Jace ran a tired hand over his face and mumbled something to the effect of _“Simon, that’s a literal murder weapon why would you make that?”_.

“A lot of people, like Jace here,” Simon began, gesturing to his boyfriend who was watching him with a look that feigned annoyance, but actually held an overwhelming fondness, “would argue that attaching a dart to a tree branch and shooting it with a bow is ‘extremely dangerous’ and ‘not recommended’, but I would say that I just made the game more fun.”

Alec closed his book and rose from his spot to approach the target and inspect the alleged arrow.

“Well, you’re right about that,” he said eventually, making Simon grin.

Alec took the bow from him and got in position. His shoulders stretched, his back muscles so defined and the veins in his arms so pronounced that Magnus didn’t know where to look. It was a common dilemma for him, whenever he accompanied Alec at the archery range. He loved to watch him practice, watch him lost in it completely, movements almost robotic after a while, calculated to perfection yet unbelievably graceful and fluid, like in a dance. It fascinated Magnus and he never missed an opportunity to see it happen.

As expected, Alec shot the arrow and it hit the bullseye. Everyone cheered as he shot a few more arrows before bowing down to them and returning to his spot, leaving them to pick up the game from where they left off, this time with their new murderous instrument.

 

***

 

Later, when the others took a break, sprawled on the grass and bathing in the blazing sunrays, Alec put his book down and got up, straightening his back. With a smile, he picked up the improvised bow from the ground and decided it would be the perfect way to pass the time and stretch his limbs, stiff from sitting around all day.

He launched a few arrows, noticing how, in the time he’d spent reading, Simon had managed to make a lot more, each of them better than the other. Admittedly, his friend had some good knowledge of aerodynamics and archery; he was always eager to come with him to the range and improve his skills, even if he never managed to reach Alec’s level. It was entertaining and quite amusing, though, to see someone else as excited about one of his interests and Simon’s attitude would often rub off on him and encourage him not to give up whenever he failed.

“One hundred and eighty!” he was startled by Magnus’s voice and he turned around to see him approaching, a bright smile on his face that made one pull at his own lips.

“You’re getting a bit too smug,” he added, taking the bow from Alec’s hands and stepping up in front of him.

Alec let out a breathy laugh when Magnus was about to draw, but his posture wasn’t quite right and, judging by his estimates, he was going to loose it off at the trunk, and not the board.

He cleared his throat, unable to wipe the smirk off his face, as he lifted Magnus’s elbow slightly, while bringing his shoulders backward − his absurdly broad shoulders and the tensed muscles under his skin that got Alec weak in the knees −, before pressing the side of his face to Magnus’s cheek, so gently they were barely touching, in order to aim. He then pulled away slowly and put his hands behind his back, afraid of stepping any further. Even so, he stayed put, his chest pressed to Magnus’s back, so close that he could sense the comforting smell of sunscreen tinged with nostalgia, but not close enough that Magnus would be able to feel the erratic thump of his heart.

“Okay,” he said in a hoarse whisper. “Now you’re ready.”

He saw the corner of Magnus’s mouth twitch up briefly before he released the arrow and sent it straight into the outer bull. That made his smile grow bigger as he turned his eyes to Alec. He tried to suppress the gasp that threatened to spill out of him when he realized how insignificant the space between their faces was, that, if he was allowed to, he could tilt his head faintly and capture Magnus’s lips with his own.

“Guess I’m a quick study,” he murmured, and this time Alec had no doubt that Magnus’s gaze trailed down to his own lips, so fast one wouldn’t notice had they not been close enough to count every eyelash.

Alec laughed then, crossing his arms and grimacing in mock offence.

“As if,” he scoffed, “I basically did all the work.”

That earned him an equally scandalized expression from Magnus, who bent down to pick up another arrow.

“Oh, really?”

He got back in position and Alec proudly noticed how Magnus had actually paid attention to his corrections, his posture nearly flawless, and hit the bullseye this time. He turned to Alec and tried to look smug, but Alec could see he was trying to contain a childlike beam, his eyes shining with excitement.

“Who did all the work this time?” he riposted and who could blame Alec for acting unconsciously, slipping his hands around Magnus’s waist and pulling him in to place a tender kiss on his cheek, because if there was one thing Alec Lightwood could do it was find a way to bend the rules to his own advantage.

“You did,” he spoke quietly into the space between them and something in the look on Magnus’s face told him that his surprising gesture was well received.

 

***

 

The fairy lights on the railing seemed to twinkle in tune with the faint music that could be heard from inside the house as everybody was gathered on the porch, drinking and telling stories that often had Alec in fits of giggles, less from the subject itself and more from the tingling of the alcohol as it coursed through his blood.

Izzy and Maia were tangled up on one of the love seats, his sister’s legs thrown over her girlfriend’s lap, and Jace was sitting opposite them, on an ottoman, his hands kneading Simon’s neck, who was slumped between his legs on the floor. Next to them, Luke and Alaric were sharing a patio couch, Luke’s arm thrown over his husband’s shoulders, and Alec enjoyed the warm feeling in his chest at seeing his family and friends together, happy and serene. He cuddled up further into Magnus’s side on their love seat, his back pressing into the firm chest behind him, and felt fingers playing softly with his hair, making him close his eyes and sigh in content.

The song changed to the gentle strum of a guitar followed by Ed Sheeran’s voice and Izzy’s squeal made Alec look up to see her perking up and turning to Maia, a big smile on her face.

“Oh my God, this is our song!” she gushed and got up from her seat, extending her hand. “Dance with me?” she pleaded, but the way Maia looked at her, with immeasurable affection, told him that Izzy never had to ask.

The two of them moved over to a clear spot on the porch, accompanied by loud cheers from his brother and excited claps from Simon. Maia wrapped her arms around Izzy’s waist from behind and rested her chin on her shoulder as they danced to the melody, lost in each other, and when the chorus came in Maia spun her round and dipped her while Izzy supressed her giggles enough to be able to kiss her sweetly before putting her hands around Maia’s neck and swaying slowly through the rest of it.

It felt like watching a newlyweds’ dance and Alec was suddenly overcome with happiness for his sister, who found someone to love and cherish and trust, someone who would give all of those things back and more, and, judging by Jace’s tipsy coos, he wasn’t alone in that sentiment.

Still, the sight before him could not distracting him from the feel of Magnus’s chest vibrating under him as he hummed to the song, nor from the imperceptible quiver that went through his whole body when that charming, velvety voice sang the chorus so quietly into his own ear that, for the briefest of seconds, Alec let himself hope it was only for him to hear.

_Every night I’ll kiss you you’ll say in my ear  
‘Oh we’re in love aren’t we?’_

 

***

 

They had all retreated to their rooms a few hours later, the prickle of the alcohol making their eyelids droop. Still, neither Magnus nor Alec felt tired enough to sleep just yet, happy to lie in bed, whispering to each other and giggling uncontrollably.

It reminded Magnus of when they were younger and staying over at their friends’ houses; how they were somehow always the last ones to fall asleep, spending hours simply talking and trying to keep quiet whenever they burst into laughter. It wasn’t until now, lying next to Alec and admiring the hazy shadows cast on his sharp features by the moonlight, that Magnus realized he’d missed this. Ironically enough, they’d been living together for years, but, even when they had movie nights or spent their evenings together working in silence, it was always the same, someone turning in first and retreating to their own bedroom.

Talking to Alec was one of Magnus’s favorite things in the world. He understood him better than anyone, he was caring and selfless and always willing to help and protect to the best of his abilities. And, come to think of it now, it wasn’t this that he’d missed actually, because they still talked about everything without fail. It was the simple act of having someone to share a bed with, to hold close during the night and wake up in their arms to pillowtalk and lingering kisses that made you never want to get up, yet gave you the strength needed to face the day.

He still couldn’t have that, not with Alec; but right now, in the soft nightly glow, mere inches separating them as they lay side by side, it was the closest thing to it. And he wanted to enjoy every second, to cling to it for dear life, before the week came to an end along with his pipe dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally learned how to use skins and CSS and HTML properly on this website so yay kudos to me lmao
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it!! You can also find me on [tumblr](http://maialec.tumblr.com/) where I'll be keeping you posted about the updates and all that fun stuff ;)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let the angst begin!! :)
> 
> I promise y'all it's gonna be worth it. Hold it together until the next and Final chapter ;)

Time passed by much too quickly for Alec’s liking, their last two days vanishing in a haze of laziness, and, though the whole point of the trip had been to disconnect and relax with his loved ones, he’d sooner enjoyed the zeal and excitement of the first few days here. More specifically, his and Magnus’s deceitful honeymoon phase.

Since their friends had been convinced from the beginning that their ‘relationship’ was as real as they come, they had gradually given up on any warranted public displays of affection, even if, at least in Alec’s case, none of them had been forced or out of obligation to their pact.

Though there had been that time the two of them joined Maia and Izzy in baking a cake for the ‘farewell party’ they had planned for their last night there, when all he could think of were Magnus’s impossibly soft and undoubtedly sweet lips kissing a smidge of flour off his cheek and the wide eyed smile he sent Alec, which prompted him to smear cake batter on Magnus’s nose and, soon enough, they were play fighting, holding each other tightly and completely ignoring his sister’s protests that they’d made a mess.

Or the time they had played badminton, when Magnus kept yelling coquettish remarks to distract him whenever he was serving, despite Alec’s half-hearted complaints that always ended in blushing; but if losing every game they would ever play again meant he would have Magnus jump at his neck to wrap himself joyfully around his body, then Alec’s competitive spirit would have to be damned for eternity.

There had been little moments like this all throughout the past couple of days and, although it was ultimately what they were supposed to be doing if they intended to keep this charade up, whenever Alec initiated small affections that fell within the boundaries that they’d established, it was because he genuinely wanted to and he finally could.

He was acutely aware of the fact that, had they actually been in a relationship, they would be under no real obligation to prove it to their friends. They were all mature adults who respected each other’s privacy and if Alec and Magnus would have told them that they were not comfortable with PDA, they would still believe them and understand not to press any further. It could have all been so much easier, could have been safer for their friendship and it made Alec feel selfish that he’d let himself indulge and drag Magnus along with him, even if his friend had assured him that he was completely on board.

And that was what had been eating at Alec’s mind ever since that first night here, at the campfire. How Magnus had literally been _completely on board_ , and it made Alec consider if maybe it wasn’t just simple loyalty to his best friend that prompted him to act so coupley whenever he had the chance. Every lingering touch, every kiss, every embrace that felt a lot more intimate than what they were used to, every soft smile that took over his whole face when he was on the receiving end of Alec’s gestures made him believe, even for just a second, that they had the same motives in mind after all. That there was something more than met the eye to Magnus’s feelings for him.

But those thoughts never got the chance to take root, as Alec would dismiss them instantly, would chastise himself for even entertaining such a possibility. Alec had always been aware of Magnus’s flirty and forward nature, never afraid to make his interest in someone known, and that had been the main reason why he was certain Magnus did not love him as anything other than a very close friend. Otherwise, he would have said something long ago.

There was no point in chasing foolish fantasies that would only lead to disappointment and hurt. Magnus was simply keeping his promise and doing his best to help Alec get through this ridiculous situation he’d put them in, like he often did. Because he was his best friend. And that was what best friends did.

 

***

 

The music boomed from inside the house and Magnus could hear the distant laughter of his friends dancing and singing along, the farewell party in full swing, as he sat on one of the lounge chairs in the yard and watched the lake waver in the wind, moonlight flickers reflected on its surface and bathing his surroundings in hues of blue. Magnus smiled to himself bitterly. He thought it was quite fitting to his mood. _Blue_.

Everyone was having fun inside, savoring the last night together before they all had to go home and return to their busy lives. But, as much as he wanted to, Magnus was not in the emotional state necessary to be around other people and pretend to be cheerful when he was the complete opposite.

He didn’t want this week to end.

It was ironic, really, that he was supposed to have been pretending all this time − that he was in a relationship with Alec, that he was in love with him, that he couldn’t keep his hands to himself, that all he wanted to do was kiss and be kissed, hold and be held − yet it was only now that he would have to go back to pretending − that he wasn’t in love with Alec, that he could keep his hands to himself, that he didn’t constantly think of kissing and holding him.

During this entire trip, he had been more honest with Alec than he’d ever been. No holding back, no fears, no insecurities, and now it came crashing down on him − not like a building collapsed under the strain of an earthquake, but like a tidal wave, ice cold water engulfing him and punching the breath out of his lungs. He had to face the truth, that it had all been just a game to get Alec out of an awkward situation and it was going to be over the next day.

He took another sip of his wine and made a low disgruntled noise when he noticed that his glass was already empty. The thought of having to go back inside to get another one filled him with dread so, instead, he placed it on the ground and resumed his sulking. A shiver went down his spine from the chilly night air and he wrapped his arms around himself, rubbing circles into the soft material of his hoodie as his eyes followed the minute twinkles of the water.

“There you are.”

He whipped his head around to see Alec behind him, approaching with small, unsure steps that must have been the reason for why he hadn’t heard him earlier. The gentleness in his quiet voice was a wrench in the gut for Magnus, but he still forced out a smile, not willing to let his mood dishearten Alec.

“Hey,” he whispered when Alec sat down in the chair next to him.

His smile couldn’t have been convincing enough as he saw the worried furrow in Alec’s eyebrows, a usual occurrence that pulled at Magnus’s heartstrings, both warming him up inside and making him want to curse his friend for being able to read him like an open book.

“What’s wrong?” he asked tentatively, ever so careful, not wanting to push, but still making sure that Magnus knew he was there for him.

“It’s nothing,” he shrugged, avoiding Alec’s gaze in favour of the dark expanse of water before him. “I guess I’m just a little sad we’re leaving tomorrow,” he mumbled eventually.

He heard Alec sigh and saw him turn his head towards the lake.

“Yeah, me too,” he confessed and silence followed for a moment.

From the corner of his eye he saw Alec perk up and the glow of his phone being unlocked made him look up.

“I know what will cheer you up,” he announced and Magnus saw the ghost of a smile on his face as his eyes roamed over the screen in search of something.

“Did Jace do something embarrassing again?”

“I wish,” Alec snorted.

He got up and placed his phone on the seat when the notes of a piano started playing. Alec offered his hand for Magnus to take, a hopeful look on his face.

“Dance with me?” and who was he to deny him that.

He gave him a fond eye-roll in response, but took his hand nonetheless. A smug grin spread on Alec’s face as he put his hands on Magnus’s waist gently and he didn’t have it in him to maintain eye contact for too long; not when Alec was looking at him like something precious, eyes glistening and eyelids droopy, but Magnus _insisted_ that it must have been the little wine he’d had. So he willed himself to let that go as he put his own hands on Alec’s shoulders and gave a breathy laugh when he recognized the melody.

_Can’t think about it too much_  
_Is just this moment enough?_  
_You got your version of love_  
_This I know_

It was a song that Magnus had been blasting out around the house every so often in the past couple of weeks, but it was different. It was a slower, stripped-down version and, though he’d paid attention to the lyrics when he’d first heard it, this time around he swore he could feel physical pain in his chest at listening to them.

_You know I can’t let you go_  
_It hurts to hold you so close_  
_No good at being alone_  
_Let’s go slow_

“You’re such a sap,” Magnus said then, trying like hell to swallow down the lump that was gripping his throat with a shake of his head.

He turned his head to the side, resting it in the crook of Alec’s neck to hide the flood of emotions painted on his face, and he felt more than heard when Alec whispered a _“Shut up”_ , smile evident in his tone, as they kept swaying.

This reminded him of their high school prom, when Alec had asked him to dance after Magnus had gotten particularly overwhelmed with tears at the prospect of leaving all his friends behind, at the ending of an era and the uncertainty of the future. He felt eerily similar now and he scolded himself for acting so dramatic, but he couldn’t help the fear that had clasped him with its claws, that everything will change suddenly when they went home the next day, and they would not, in fact, _“come back as the same Magnus and Alec”_.

_Don’t think we’re wasting our time_  
_Even if we’re undefined_  
_Either way, we’ll be alright_  
_This I know_

He raised his head slowly and tried to keep his eyes locked on Alec’s chest, his breathing even, his heartbeat stable.

But he could feel Alec’s intent gaze searching for him and followed it like a moth to the flame. His pulse was throbbing in his ears, so loud he could barely hear the music anymore, and he knew that his breaths weren’t coming out steady, granted they were even coming out at all. His hands gripped at Alec’s shirt tighter and he felt him respond by digging his own fingers further into his waist.

_So if it all ends_  
_I promise that one day_  
_We could be future friends_

His eyes trailed the line of Alec’s nose to the tip of it, to his cupid’s bow, to his mouth, slightly open and heaving out soft stuttered gasps, and Magnus was so close, so painfully close that he could feel the warmth of it on his own lips that were tingling with want and it would be both the easiest and the hardest thing he’d ever done to lean in further and abandon all self-control, to press and slide and pull and lose himself in all of it without a care.

_And if we let go tomorrow, just know_  
_We could be future friends_

The song ended and all courage left Magnus like an electric current passing down his body and escaping through the soles of his feet. He pulled away instantly and cleared his throat, trying yet again to shrug off the charged moment with a laugh.

“Careful there,” he teased, or tried to, but with a trembling voice it fell broken even to his own ears, “wouldn’t wanna break a rule.”

He found it nearly impossible to read the look on Alec’s face − too preoccupied with not looking him in the eyes at all −, nor the implications of his response, hoarse and barely audible.

“Yeah, you− you’re right,” he stuttered, letting his hands drop from where they were holding Magnus.

He didn’t want to hang around and nurse this tension that had built between them, desperate to escape and pretend nothing had happened or, more precisely, _almost_ happened. His hand flew instinctively to play with his earcuff as he forced a smile on his face one last time.

“I’m a bit tired, I think I’m gonna turn in early.”

It took Alec a few good seconds to nod and clear his throat in an attempt to respond, but Magnus beat him to it.

“Good night, Alexander,” he said and turned to leave, hearing a faint _“Good night”_ behind him before he sneaked inside, relieved to go unnoticed by the others as he made his way upstairs.

He got ready for bed in a haste that left him numb all over his body and he was fast asleep before Alec returned to their room.

 

***

 

When Alec awoke the next morning, his first thought had been _“Where’s Magnus?”_.

He supposed it shouldn’t have surprised him to see the crumpled sheets next to him, the warmth of Magnus’s body still faintly present when Alec ran his hand over the empty spot, or to feel like the very hands that held him so delicately the night before had reached into his chest, all the way through his ribs and pulled him apart, leaving his insides voided. After all, that was exactly how he’d felt when Magnus had jerked away from him as if the static electricity they had both been undoubtedly aware of at the closeness of their lips had sent him bolting in the opposite direction.

From the second his eyes opened that morning, all his brain could do was replay last night on an endless loop, trying to wrap his mind around what had happened, what he had done wrong, what he had almost done.

He had almost kissed Magnus. Moreover, he’d had a feeling that Magnus would have kissed him back, and he didn’t know what to make of that. What was worse was that he couldn’t blame it on external factors, not really. Sure, they’d both had a glass or two of wine, he was lonely, Magnus was sad, and they had slow danced to a song that perfectly encompassed everything he couldn’t utter on his own, but his mind had been as clear as day. And, considering Alec was the biggest lightweight out of their friend group, that could only mean Magnus had been sufficiently sober as well.

Maybe that had been what stopped them both from breaking their first and most important rule. And, though he was now relieved that they hadn’t gone all the way, that their friendship was still hopefully intact, there had been a cloud of dread hanging over Alec’s head from the moment he woke up and saw that Magnus was not there, added to the fact that he’d made sure to be asleep before Alec came in the previous night as well.

It was as if Magnus was trying his best to avoid him at all costs. Alec hadn’t even seen him that morning, yet he could already predict what awaited him when he went downstairs for breakfast, and it wasn’t pleasant. He tried to delay it for as long as possible, spending more time than usual packing his bag even though they wouldn’t be leaving for a few hours.

He knew Magnus and his behaviours better than anyone and his instincts rarely betrayed him. But right now, for the first time, as he got ready and headed to the kitchen, he wished that they would.

 

***

 

They didn’t. His instincts were still as loyal and as accurate as ever. When he greeted the others, the faint smile Magnus gave him was the same he’d seen the night before when he found him outside; forced and reserved.

Alec knew all of Magnus’s smiles very well. They were one in the long list of things he loved about him. There was the bright, cheerful one, that spread over his entire face and made the bridge of his nose wrinkle adorably, one Alec had seen directed at him many times, there was the wide smirk that pulled at his lips whenever he was satisfied with himself and made Alec want to kiss it off his face, there was the insolent sneer he put on for someone he disliked deeply, intent on intimidating and making his aversion known, and it did all kinds of things to Alec that should have him embarrassed, but only made him smug because he had never and hoped to never be on the receiving end of it.

And there was this one, the tight lipped one, that didn’t reach his eyes and felt foreign when addressed to Alec, as if they hadn’t been best friends for years. As if they were strangers or, even worse, acquaintances − close enough to salute each other and make small talk, but not close enough to want to spend more time together than strictly necessary.

The second ill omen Alec had correctly predicted was Magnus’s reluctance to be around him for too long. No sooner had he showed up and poured himself some coffee than Magnus excused himself and headed back upstairs, saying that he needed to finish packing before they left today.

Alec tried not to let it sting too much, tried not to let the hurt show on his face as he chewed on his food absently. He mustn’t have been too convincing because, when he got up from the table to wash his dishes, his sister followed him, away from the lighthearted chatter of their friends.

“Did something happen?” she asked quietly, a worried frown on her face.

He could choose to deflect her question, to act confused or to say that everything was fine. But Izzy knew him, always so attuned to his demeanor, and there was no chance she would believe it. She would probably give up after a few more tries, knowing when to give him space, but he wasn’t in need of space. He’d gotten plenty of it all morning and he thought that maybe talking about it to someone who wasn’t Magnus was the only thing he needed. Especially when that someone was Izzy.

“Actually,” he sighed, not knowing where to start, “I− yeah, something did happen.”

Her face grew even more worried and she placed a gentle hand on his arm.

“What is it?”

“Look, before I start, I just want you to know that I’m sorry,” he said, looking down at his hands as he rubbed his left palm with his right thumb. “I’m sorry I lied to you, but I− I didn’t know what to do and I knew it would get messy, but I wanted it so badly and−”

“Alec, what are you saying?” she asked in a soft, concerned tone.

He looked around to make sure the others were still engaged in their own conversation before he continued, voice smaller than before.

“Magnus and I are not dating. We never have been. I just said that so I wouldn’t have to bring a stranger and,” he took a deep breath, “because I wanted to have him here, and that could only happen if he was my date, right?”

He couldn’t help the slight bitterness in his question, though he didn’t want to blame Izzy. She had no blame. She just wanted him to be happy and he had been dumb enough to think that he would; and that it would last.

“Oh, Alec,” and there was no trace of pity in her voice. Just hurt and understanding.

“Anyways, Magnus agreed to pretend and it was all going well. Until last night when we almost kissed, even though that was our first rule when going into this whole thing: ‘no-liplocks’,” he quoted with a tart laugh. “But he pulled away first to remind me of it. And he’s been avoiding me ever since,” he mumbled, feeling his vision blur from the tears that were threatening to fall. He willed them back in and continued.

“This is what I was afraid of from the beginning, that I would ruin our friendship like I do with everything. God, Izzy, what would’ve happened if I’d actually kissed him?” he let out a strained whisper, still mindful of the unsuspecting audience in the dining room.

“Hey, you didn’t ruin anything,” she stated, searching for his gaze. “Your friendship is too strong for that.”

Izzy smiled when he finally looked back at her, eyes kind and bright.

“You just have to talk to him, clear everything up, no more blurred lines,” she finished, squeezing his shoulder in a sign of reassurance.

“You’re right,” he sighed, willing himself to smile back. “We have a two hour drive back home, we can talk then.”

“Good. That’s what I like to hear,” she said, beaming up at him before she returned to the other room.

And maybe Alec wasn’t completely calm and collected just yet, but talking to his sister made him feel less anxious if only for a moment. He knew she was right, she always was, and saying it all out loud felt liberating. He needed to go into that conversation with a clear head and, after this, he felt a bit more prepared.

He couldn’t let this ugly tension build between them any longer. Magnus meant too much for him to let such a small thing, a thing that didn’t even _happen_ take a toll on their friendship. So he had to settle for going back to the way things were. Because what went down last night only solidified his beliefs that Magnus did, in fact, not feel the same for him.

It hurt. He always knew it would and he thought he would be prepared for the inevitable, harrowing pang in his chest, but he hadn’t been and he never would be. Still, he had to push through and be thankful that nothing more happened, something that they truly could not have moved on from that easily and with no damage to their relationship.

Right now, he just wanted his best friend back. Right now, this was all they could be.

 

***

 

“We should do this again sometime,” Luke said as he helped them put their bags in the trunk.

Magnus gave him a friendly smile in response, though he was certain that, if there ever was a next time, he wouldn’t be coming as Alec’s boyfriend anymore.

“Definitely! Maybe come by for Christmas,” Alaric suggested while Maia nodded enthusiastically.

“Sure,” Alec said with a strained voice as his sister squeezed him in a hug. “We’ll keep in touch.”

“How come you two haven’t left already?” Magnus asked Jace with what he hoped to be a teasing tone. “With your driving skills, I would be surprised if you made it home by midnight.”

“Ha ha,” Jace retorted dryly while his boyfriend tried to suppress a laugh in his shoulder. “Simon’s driving this time,” he explained.

“God bless you,” Magnus deadpanned and went to hug Isabelle as well.

After a few more pleasantries and hugs were exchanged, the two of them finally got in the car, although Magnus didn’t know if he preferred it.

It had been exhausting to keep up a cheerful state of mind around everyone all morning, when all he wanted to do was be alone with his thoughts and his aching heart, but he was good at pretending. He’d been doing it all his life, deflecting, suppressing and hiding his pain from people he didn’t trust enough to let himself be vulnerable around.

That was part of the reason why he’d been avoiding the inevitable talk him and Alec would have to have, why he’d been avoiding him altogether; it was what he was familiar with. He thought that maybe keeping his distance for a while would release some of the tension from last night, that he would feel more prepared to discuss it, but he was wrong.

The last thing he was prepared for right now was a two hour drive alone with Alec. A very long and terribly uncomfortable drive, the tension floating between them like thick fog. They’d barely pulled out of the driveway and he could already sense it. His fingers were twitching and he was certain his earlobe was already red from how much he’d tugged at his earcuff.

“I’m glad we got through that week,” Alec broke the silence, letting out an awkward laugh. “We’re finally back to being just friends,” he added, turning to Magnus as if to seek his approval.

He felt the breath being punched out of him, so much so that he had to take a second to compose himself before speaking again. He willed a brief smile on his face, still not looking at Alec. He pulled out his earcuff in his fidget.

“Yeah. Just friends,” he agreed in a small, hushed voice.

“We’re okay, right?” Alec asked tentatively, still searching for his gaze.

And trying to look back at him now, into those big, warm, hopeful hazel eyes, was as much of an effort as running ten miles, as climbing a mountain, as falling out of love.

Still, he did, and prayed to every god listening that his tears wouldn’t betray him and run all the way down his face.

“Yes, Alexander” he choked out, smiling with the last of his powers. “Absolutely.”

He didn’t know if he was reassuring Alec or himself anymore, and the lopsided smile he received, before his friend − his _friend_ − turned his eyes back on the road, didn’t make it any clearer.

The silence was too deafening in that moment, so he turned the radio on, loud enough to drown out his thoughts, but silent enough that it wouldn’t alarm Alec. He slouched in his seat and looked out the window. They didn’t talk for the rest of the way home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [The song they danced to](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9RgKo2lFI8) because I had to. It's the perfect best friends to lovers/pining song and I love Superfruit so :))
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it!! The last chapter will be posted some time this week, before Thursday, so stay tuned <3
> 
> You can also find me on [tumblr](http://maialec.tumblr.com/) where I'll be keeping you posted about the updates and all that fun stuff ;)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The moment y'all have (hopefully) been waiting for!! The final chapter of 'melt me down' is here for your thirsty asses!!!!
> 
> I obviously couldn't resist not making another fairytale reference, as a farewell. Also a B99 reference, to come full circle. And also a small little nod at a Grey's Anatomy metaphor that if you can pick up, you're my automatic homie ;)
> 
> Enough talk now, enjoy! <3

The front door clicked shut behind Alec as they entered the apartment, Magnus ahead of him, already making his way to his bedroom. He put his bags down with a sigh.

The road back home had been painfully silent, even with the music playing in the background and acting as white noise, and that atmosphere only carried all the way to their house. It was strangely uncharacteristic to have such heavy silence fall between them. Alec was used to the comfortable one, where they were both so engulfed in something that conversation wasn’t required, content to just feel each other’s soothing presence.

He wasn’t used to this; this unease, feeling like he couldn’t talk to Magnus, like his company wasn’t welcomed. He hated it with such a raging passion that all his apprehension and anxiety from before had been replaced with frustration and the need to _say something_. Or maybe it was precisely the abundance of fear − that he was dangerously close to losing Magnus and his friendship because of his stupidity − that drove him.

“Magnus, wait,” he spoke up after hours that had felt like days, a bit louder and more forceful than he had intended, but he couldn’t care right now.

Magnus put his own bags down, turning around slowly, and Alec approached him into the living room. Magnus didn’t say anything, just gave him a smile so tense Alec could see every muscle in his jaw clenching.

“We need to talk,” he said simply, whatever caution he had planned to use vanishing instantly. He couldn’t afford to be anything but blunt. “About whatever this−,” he gestured aimlessly between them, “this awkward tension that’s been killing me since this morning.”

Magnus’s expression got somber and his shoulders slumped with a sigh that Alec couldn’t tell if it was from relief or dejection.

“You’re right,” he nodded, looking at the ground.

Alec felt silly for the small wave of elation that took over his heart at hearing Magnus’s voice after so long. It couldn’t have been more than two hours and yet he had missed it more than he should have. He still missed it though, he missed Magnus and it was ridiculous because he was standing _right there_ , five feet in front of him, yet it felt like he was never going to breach the wall Magnus had put up.

“Look, I know you and I know that you’re not actually okay. That _we_ are not okay,” he stated, his tone steadier than his heartbeat. “And I don’t know how it got this bad, but I know I hate it.”

Magnus was still not looking at him, a pout on his face and a furrow in his eyebrows as he wrapped his arms around himself; what to shield himself from Alec didn’t know, but he had a suspicion it was whatever he was going to say.

“I hate it too,” he said eventually, voice more strained than he probably intended.

“We both know it started because of what happened last night,” he sighed, finally addressing the elephant in the room.

“Or rather didn’t happen,” Magnus mumbled to himself and Alec only heard it because of the deadly silence surrounding them.

“Yes, well, for what it’s worth,” he paused to gather all the courage he had left in his body and to weigh his options, though, from the moment they got home, he’d already chosen one.

“I wanted it to.”

He didn’t bother to decipher the look in Magnus’s eyes, finally locked on his own, because once the words were out, he couldn’t stop them.

“You did?” Magnus asked and he seemed so _small_ and genuinely surprised.

Alec didn’t know whether to give into the lump he’d been building up in his throat or the giddiness that now bubbled up in his chest. For how intelligent and perceptive Magnus was, it made Alec smile at the thought that he was still such an idiot. It was adorable and an immeasurable fondness overwhelmed him as he marveled at the fact that Magnus somehow hadn’t figured out Alec’s feelings for him even after everything that had gone down this week. Or perhaps, that if he had, he refused to believe such feelings could ever be real. And, for whatever ludicrous reason, it only encouraged him further.

“Of course,” he breathed out, his smile growing bigger with each word. “Why do you think your name was the first to pop into my head when Izzy asked me to bring a date? Why I was so invested in this fake relationship and I kept dancing around the rules,” _Why did you dance around them too?_ his mind supplied, but he didn’t want to assume.

“Why do you think I picked that song?” he finished.

“Because I like it and you wanted to cheer me up,” Magnus tried with a shrug of his shoulders and there it was again, that small, unsure tone that was not in any way fitting to the eminence that was Magnus Bane.

“Because I am in love with you, Magnus,” he corrected as if he’d just told him the sun sets from the west, as if it was the most obvious thing and it frustrated him that Magnus still thought it wasn’t.

Plain, simple, easy. Easier than he had ever thought and he cursed himself for having waited for _so long_.

And Alec could cry with relief right then and there, for what he got in response was that look. That open, dumbstruck look, Magnus’s eyes shining, his eyebrows furrowed in disbelief and the smallest smile gracing his features − the most genuine smile Alec had seen from him all day −, as he dropped his arms and let them hang loosely beside his body.

“You are?” and if Magnus’s voice had sounded strained before, now it was just a crushed whisper.

“Magnus,” he let out a soft laugh. “I’ve been in love with you for as long as I can remember.”

He shrugged his shoulders with a faint shake of his head. It was all out there. He’d bared his soul and it was all up to Magnus now.

It took Magnus a few seconds to move towards him, tentative steps making the floor creak under their weight and Alec’s heart thump so erratically it hurt all the way to his stomach. He took in a deep breath, but it did little to help his pulse steady as Magnus reached out, a warm, trembling hand settling on his face and cupping his cheek. He could close his eyes and bask in it forever, sense every minute movement of Magnus’s thumb on his jaw, but he wanted to commit each shift in his expression to memory, to single out every gear that was turning in Magnus’s head and to predict whatever words were not spoken on his lips. The anxiety was tingling at the surface, yet he didn’t trust himself to move.

Magnus opened and closed his mouth a few times, seemingly speechless, and Alec would normally be dreading anything that was about to come out after what he’d just confessed. But that soft hand on his face grounded and reassured him.

“I couldn’t tell you for how long I’ve been dreaming of hearing you say that,” Magnus finally spoke, his voice more certain than before, but just as ravaged, just as silent; as if he didn’t want to pierce this thin veil of new-found peace.

Just like the temporary heartbreak he’d endured, nothing could have prepared Alec for the pure overwhelming joy that engulfed every cell in his body at that moment.

“I also couldn’t tell you how scared I’ve been to say it myself.”

_Then say it. Please._

And, like always, Magnus read his mind with an ease that Alec thought only soulmates, if they even existed, would share.

“God, I am so in love with you,” he breathed out, his grin bliding. “I always have been.”

Everything fell into place for Alec right then, like a puzzle whose final picture you could only see once you had all the pieces slotted together, like seeing everything in a blur your whole life only to realise you needed glasses; and Magnus’s words were his glasses.

He didn’t hesitate for a second as he placed his own hand over the one still holding his cheek, caressing it so lightly for it all felt like a lucid dream − frail and unpredictable, yet awfully real. He finally closed his eyes and sighed, this time letting every burden and worry out in a long huff.

“Why did we wait so long?” he heard himself ask and felt the shake of Magnus’s titter.

It was a stupid question indeed, if the amused look on Magnus’s face was anything to go by, a look that Alec was certain he mirrored. He knew why _he_ waited, only assumed Magnus’s reasons were the same, but it all could be summarized by one simple statement.

“Because we’re idiots,” and laughter spilled out of both of them at Magnus’s answer.

“Yeah, and cowards,” he added, their fits of giggles bringing their bodies closer, until their foreheads were touching and their breaths were shared.

It was eerily similar to last night − the infinitesimal space between their faces, the warmth radiating off of Magnus’s body −, but this time there was no uncertainty. They both knew what they wanted, what the other wanted as well and there was nothing stopping them from getting it anymore.

Alec dipped his head up ever so slightly to nudge Magnus’s nose with his own, earning a content beam that he could barely see through his lashes, eyelids closing more and more with every second. He smiled to himself when he remembered something, this anticipation slowly eating at him like it had in the past, yet now he had no reason not to chase it.

“I really wanna kiss you right now,” he whispered and the gasp that he got in response only widened his smile and made a flutter grow in his chest and sink to his belly.

“So do,” an equally faint whisper, a voice hoarse enough to surge him forward.

And so he did.

He caught Magnus’s upper lip between his own, the warmth and softness, the eager press against his mouth and the wrecked sighs it elicited sending his brain into overdrive and his chest soaring. There was so much happening and yet not enough; one hand snaked around his waist tugging him flush against Magnus’s body, Alec’s free hand grabbing at the nape of Magnus’s neck as their mouths kept shifting, noses squished against each other’s cheeks, skin shivering at every point of contact, the wet noises of their lips parting and their heavy breathing the only sounds in the room.

He wasn’t thinking clearly, he couldn’t see what he was doing. He was simply going through the motions as Magnus took a step back, then another one, dragging him along, Alec following suit and they slumped on the couch, his legs instinctively resting on either side of Magnus’s thighs, straddling his waist and finally sitting down on his lap while their mouths parted for air and for the uncontrolled giggles that fell from their lips. The laughter subsided to be replaced by a gasp when the hand Magnus had held his face with traveled agonizingly slowly down his jaw, then his neck and finally rested on his chest, while his own hands clutched Magnus’s bare arms tightly. Alec told himself it was just to keep grounded and not because thoughts of those defined arms had ruined him for years.

He wanted him closer. He _needed_ him closer and Magnus must have thought the same since he wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him in further, hips pressed against each other and Alec decided that it had already been too long since they last kissed. He dived back in with more purpose this time, the feel of an equally quickened heartbeat when their chests touched only motivating him to sweep his tongue over Magnus’s lower lip, his mouth already open and willing.

The slide of their tongues together, the heated breaths that stroked his lips and the brush of Magnus’s goatee against his chin were intoxicating and he was more certain than ever that once he got a taste of Magnus’s mouth he would never be able to go without it again. Frankly, he didn’t know how he’d survived this whole time without breaking their rule.

But now there were no more rules. Magnus felt the same way and it was all laid out in front of them. _They were in love_. It felt surreal and yet weirdly expected, like every small hope Alec had clung on to until now had had a solid base and it hadn’t been just his imagination. Now he could only be frustrated that he didn’t say something sooner, that he wasted all these years pining when he could have had Magnus in every way he wanted, in every way he would let him.

He didn’t want to dwell on wasted opportunities though. Right now, as his hands roamed over Magnus’s sides and slipped under his shirt to feel the warm skin beneath, as Magnus’s hips bucked up eagerly to meet his own and as strong hands gripped his thighs and lifted him up from the couch to lead him to the bedroom, he promised to himself that he would take his sweet time; mapping out every inch of Magnus’s body − with his hands, with his mouth, with his lips and his tongue −, letting his own body explored and his heart exposed to gentle hands that could never dare break it.

Alec would take his time loving Magnus the way he deserved to, the way he had always dreamed of doing; now and for however long Magnus would have him.

***

Magnus’s head rose slightly as it rested on Alec’s chest, in tune with every breath he took. He was running his fingers aimlessly over the soft skin, the hair tickling his cheek, their legs in a tangled mess, an arm thrown over his shoulders keeping him close, and Magnus had never felt happiness quite like he did in that moment.

Alec was in love with him. He had been in love with him for possibly just as long as Magnus had and it drove him mad thinking how stupid they had both been all this time. It would have saved them so much trouble and heartbreak if one of them had just taken a risk, but he didn’t have it in him to blame either of them right now.

Logically, he knew why Alec never said something, because he shared that sentiment as well − the fear of losing your closest friend or at the very least straining your friendship forever. Yet he couldn’t help overthinking. Curiosity got the best of him so he decided to simply ask Alec directly. They had no reason to keep things from each other anymore, especially when it had to do with their feelings.

“Why have you never said anything?” he mumbled into Alec’s skin.

He felt the vibration of Alec humming in query, his brain not fully awake yet, though his thumb had been rubbing circles into Magnus’s shoulder for the past few minutes. He lifted his head and looked up at him, resting his chin on his forearm as his hand kept playing mindlessly with the little hairs on his chest. Alec’s eyes were drooping, a sleepy smile plastered permanently on his lips and Magnus couldn’t resist leaning in and brushing his own against them in a lazy kiss before he settled back down.

“You’ve always been so honest with me,” he continued hesitantly, not knowing why he was even insisting. “Why not with this?”

He felt Alec’s other arm wrap around his waist and squeeze him closer, the smile falling from his face briefly as he opened his eyes wider and his gaze shifted around the room before settling back on Magnus. He gave a barely perceptible shake of his head and finally spoke up.

“I’ve loved you as a friend before anything else and,” he sighed and licked his lips in what Magnus knew was an effort to find his words. “You mean so much to me that having you in my life in whatever capacity was more important than taking a chance knowing it could blow up in my face and I could lose you.”

Alec was not a man of grand declarations, but his sincerity was one of his most endearing qualities, one of the first traits Magnus had fallen in love with. A grin broke over his own face feigning both amusement and understanding. He knew better than anyone what it meant to lose someone close to you and it had been both an obstacle and a driving force in any new relationship, be it romantic or otherwise. It was a relief to know once and for all that they were on the same page.

“Where do we go from here?” Alec asked and it was the last thing Magnus had expected to hear from him.

As if it hadn’t been clear enough where they intended to go, where they had already gone for the past few hours − places that left them boneless, but sated and content, their pent-up tension finally released in boundless pleasure −, where, if Alec would have him, Magnus intended to go for the rest of their lives.

But it was too soon for that and he didn’t want to scare him away when he just got him. So he chose the playful route, throwing one leg over Alec’s waist and pushing himself up, forearms on either side of his face.

“We go on a date,” he said, placing a kiss to the tip of Alec’s nose. “And,” another one to his cheek, “if you like me enough,” to his jaw, “we’ll turn that fake relationship into a real one,” and finally to his lips, initially supposed to be just a peck, but Alec had other things in mind as he pressed closer, his head arching up off the pillow, chasing his mouth like it was his life force.

Magnus could relate.

“I think we’ve established I like you more than enough,” Alec whispered into the small space of their shared breaths.

“Well then, up we go,” he perked up, disentangling their bodies and moving to get out of bed.

“Already?” Alec groaned with a confused furrow of his eyebrows. “Have you been keeping this date in your pocket just in case the occasion arises?” he chuckled, sitting up against the headboard.

“You wish,” Magnus retorted as he slid a pair of pants on. “I guess you can thank my improv skills,” he winked.

Their first date had to be special, yet Magnus didn’t need any time to think it through or plan it in advance. He also didn't want to wait any longer than necessary, having had enough of waiting for a lifetime. He already knew where he wanted to take Alec, and he only hoped his idea would speak for itself.

***

A knock sounded on Alec’s bedroom door and he looked in the mirror where he was buttoning his cuffs to see Magnus leaning against the frame, arms crossed, his shirt stretching against them, the low collar showing off part of his chest and, judging by the smug expression on his face, he knew exactly what effect his outfit had on Alec.

He couldn’t have been looking too bad himself if the appreciative once-over he received − Magnus’s eyes, rimmed with dark eyeshadow, trailing slowly up and down his body with a wide smirk on his lips − was anything to go by.

“Is Cinderella ready to go to the ball?” he teased as he approached Alec, movements slow and graceful.

Alec turned to face him in time for Magnus to raise his hands and place them on his shoulders, letting them drag down his chest with the excuse to smooth out the imaginary wrinkles in Alec’s shirt and to adjust his collar.

“I don’t know, is the prince waiting for me in his magical carriage?” he mused, earning a soft chuckle from Magnus, the kind that made the bridge of his nose crinkle and Alec’s heart beat faster.

“That’s nowhere near how the story goes,” he responded with a playful push on Alec’s arm.

“Sounds a lot better that way,” Alec shrugged with a smile and moved to grab his jacket from the back of his desk chair, putting it on in a haste.

“So, what did you have in mind?” he asked Magnus as they left his room and headed out of the apartment.

“Patience is a virtue, Alexander,” he said, his voice tinged with mystery, and it made Alec roll his eyes fondly. He’d forgotten how much Magnus loved theatrics.

Patience was worth it in the end when they arrived at their favorite restaurant that they hadn’t visited in weeks. He’d missed its atmosphere; dim lights washing the space in a misty glow, large windows overlooking the glittering expanse of the city, soft music accompanying the melodic chatter of people around them and, as always, Magnus’s presence coloring the room, the only thing that Alec could ever focus on − a beacon for his wandering ship.

They had a lovely dinner, conversation flowing naturally like nothing had changed. Except it had, and the occasional comfortable silence that would settle between them, when Magnus would look at him with nothing short of pure affection, when his own hand would grab Magnus’s as it rested on the table, rubbing circles into the smooth skin, when their legs would tangle playfully and unconsciously under the table, all of these were testaments to the shift in their dynamic, a shift as refreshing as the faintest breeze during a scorching summer afternoon.

It was after they left and Magnus took a hold of his hand, guiding him to a route they wouldn’t normally take on their way back home, and he could make out the gleaming fairy lights still adorning the trees in Central Park that Alec understood Magnus’s intent. A giggle bubbled up in his throat and he squeezed Magnus’s hand as they made their way down a walkway adjoining the lake.

“Now I see you didn’t need to plan ahead to make this night memorable,” he pondered out loud as he stole a glance at Magnus, a flutter growing in his gut when he saw the twinkle on his face.

“Shall we?” Magnus gestured to one of the benches overlooking the great expanse of water, the smile never leaving his lips.

They sat in silence for a bit, their hands still linked and resting in Alec’s lap as he played with the rings on Magnus’s fingers, watching strangers pass by: a young man being dragged by a little girl that must have been his daughter as she talked excitedly and pointed at a carousel coloured in bright neon lights, an elderly couple walking with their arms linked, looking just as in love as when they first met, two girls giggling and stumbling along, either tipsy or simply high on happiness.

Alec leaned in closer to Magnus’s side and turned his head, willing Magnus to look at him. When he did, the endless darkness of his eyes, complemented by the flickering lights, burned in an ember that warmed up Alec’s insides and prompted a wide grin to spread on his face.

“I don’t think I’ve told you before, but,” Alec spoke in a quiet voice, “you have the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen.”

Magnus’s lips parted and his eyebrows furrowed, not in confusion, but in genuine surprise, as if Alec hadn’t just stated the most obvious fact, as if he wasn’t used to people pointing out his transcendent beauty. Magnus’s smile grew bigger as he breathed out a puff of air, every muscle in his body relaxing and every minute facial movement speaking of pure contentment. He raised his free hand to place it on Alec’s cheek, so tenderly as if he was afraid to break him.

“Whatever have I done in a previous life to deserve someone as wonderful as you, Alexander?” he whispered and Alec swore there was no way his eyes could shine brighter than they did in that moment.

“I could say the same thing,” Alec beamed at him and Magnus’s hand traveled slowly to his nape.

“I love you,” Magnus stated with unwavering conviction. “So much.”

“I love you so much, too,” Alec replied, unable to suppress the giggle that spilled out of him.

Magnus was sure to quell it though, pressing his mouth to Alec’s, pulling him impossibly closer by his neck, the slow drag and pull of their lips saying words they didn’t have the time to speak and promises they didn’t have the words for. They melted in the heat of unhurried kisses, forgetting about everything around them for a brief moment.

And as they made their way back home, as they settled into bed and into each other’s warm embrace, as they let the tangled web of sleep fall over them, everything stilled, the only sign of movement the rise and fall of their chests, the gentle caress of fingers on bare skin and the shuffle of their sheets as they reached out for each other senselessly in the gloom of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end... for now ;) Who knows, maybe I'll write a Christmas special, maybe not. If you wanna stay tuned, check me out on [tumblr](http://maialec.tumblr.com/) <3
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading, leaving comments, screaming at me and sticking around for this last chapter that took me Way too long to finish. I would also like to give a special thanks to [Emma](http://oneofmanyjonathans.tumblr.com/) who listened to me whine and who live-messaged me her freak outs while reading. You are the sweetest and you've helped me a lot even if you don't know!! Check out [her writing](https://archiveofourown.org/users/em_the_gem/) because she's extremely talented and incredibly underrated ❤❤❤
> 
> Until next time <3


End file.
